Stone Farm Cottage (2)

Stone farm Cottage (2)

Of Stone Farm, a detached part of Preston Plucknett

 

Stone Farm Cottage (2) was a small cottage and garden set against Stone Lane to the northwest 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 173. It was bounded on the north by Plantation 1 (Parcel 172), on the east by Hetts Orchard (Parcel 171), to the south by Plantation 2 (Parcel 174) and to the west by Stone Lane.

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 just 0a 0r 15p. The 1841 census shows that the cottage was occupied by agricultural labourer Stephen Abbot, his wife Charlotte and their five young children; Joseph, Ann, Stephen, Elizabeth and Jane.

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.

A close examination of the aerial photograph of 1946 shows that by this time the cottage had been completely removed.

 

map and aerial photograph


The Stone area reproduced from the 1849 Tithe Map. Stone Farm Cottage and garden is northwest of Stone Farm and adjacent to Stone Lane.

 

The 1946 aerial photograph showing Stone Farm at bottom with Hetts Orchard to its immediate north. Stone Lane runs vertically at the left of the photograph and Stone Farm Cottage was situated against Stone Lane at the centre of Hetts Orchard.