Yeovil's Virtual Museum

Stone farm Cottage (1)

Of Stone Farm, a detached part of Preston Plucknett

 

Stone Farm Cottage (1) was a small cottage and garden set within Hartwells Orchard (Parcel 169) and Garden Field (Parcel 177) to the immediate east 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 Stone Farm Cottage as Parcel 170. It was bounded on the north and east by Hartwells Orchard and on the south and west by Garden Field.

The Preston Plucknett Tithe Apportionment of 1848 notes that Stone Farm Cottage was in the ownership of Henry Goodford Esq. of Chilton Cantello and tenanted by Mrs Phillis Coles, as indeed was the whole of Stone Farm at this time. The Tithe Apportionment reckoned the area of Stone Farm Cottage to be 0a 1r 2p. The 1841 census shows that the cottage was occupied by 25-year old agricultural labourer David Ellis.

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, Stone Farm Cottage might possibly still be seen, but today has been completely removed.

 

The Stone area reproduced from the 1849 Tithe Map. Stone Farm Cottage and garden is northeast of Stone Farm.

 

The 1946 aerial photograph showing Stone Farm in the lower left quadrant with what appears to be the cottage in a small semi-circular enclosure - Stone Farm Cottage?.

 

The modern aerial view showing what could have been Stone Farm Cottage as removed but a ghost of the semi-circular enclosure just visible right of the small black patch (a small tree?) in the hedgerow.

 

The 1849 Tithe Map superimposed over the current Google Earth image. Although the field boundaries do not align precisely, remember that the 1849 survey was undertaken by hand using primitive surveying equipment. The location of the former Stone Farm Cottage is to the immediate east of Stone Farm.