Yeovil's Virtual Museum

Plantation (2)

Of Stone Farm, a detached part of Preston Plucknett

 

Plantation (2 - of two) was long narrow tree-planted strip running alongside Stone Lane northeast of Stone Farm.

This area is actually a detached part of the parish of Preston Plucknett, known as Preston in Stone, and the Preston Plucknett Tithe Map of 1849 shows Plantation (2) as Parcel 174. It was bounded on the east by Hetts Orchard (Parcel 171) and Home Close (Parcel 175), to the north by Stone Farm Cottage (Parcel 173) and to the west by Stone Lane. It simply narrowed to nothing at its southern end.

The Preston Plucknett Tithe Apportionment of 1848 notes that Plantation (2) was in the ownership of Henry Goodford Esq. of Chilton Cantello and occupied by Mrs Phillis Coles, as indeed was the whole of Stone Farm at this time. The Tithe Apportionment reckoned the area of Plantation (2) to be just 0a 0r 38p.

Other known owners / occupiers had been James Harris (1800), Mr Pester (1810), Mr Spear (1818), Stephen Coles (c1821-1827). Phillis Coles, in her later years assisted by her sons, ran Stone Farm after the death of her husband Stephen until her own death in 1877. Her son Edmund ran the farm after her death until his death in 1885. By 1886 a Mr Russell was farming Stone Farm but his widow sold up and retired in February 1900. In 1901 the tenant farmer was John Sawtell.

As seen in the aerial photograph of 1946, shown below, Plantation (2) appears to be extant. Today however, there is nothing more than a hedgerow with a couple trees.

 

The Stone area reproduced from the 1849 Tithe Map. Plantation (2) is centre left, northwest of Stone Farm.

 

The 1946 aerial photograph showing Home Close at centre with Plantation 2 as a buffer between Home Close and Stone Lane. At this time Plantation 2 appears mostly devoid of trees.

 

The modern aerial view showing Home Close at centre, unchanged since 1946 apart from the absorption of Plantation 2, such that Home Close's western boundary is adjacent to Stone Lane,