KEY Farm
KEY fARM
A small arable farm alongside the Dorchester Road
Key Farm, also known as Keyford Farm, (although today Keyford is north of the Red House, while Key Farm is chiefly to the south) was a small arable farm, with sheep and horses, on the western side of the Dorchester Road from just north of the Red House then running south for just over half a mile. The farmhouse is Grade II* listed (since 19 April 1961).
The following
description of
the farmhouse is
from the
Somerset
Historic
Environment
Record number
50483.
Farmhouse. Circa
1600 with C18
modifications.
Local stone
rubble mostly
rendered, Ham
stone dressings;
Welsh slate and
plain clay tiles
over stone slate
base courses,
West gable,
otherwise hipped
roofs; rendered
chimney stacks.
"U"-plan with
main facade, but
with projecting
porch on North
wing. 2-storeys,
East elevation
of 4-bays. Ovolo
mould mullioned
windows with
square leaded
panes and
headmoulds at
both levels;
outer bays of
4-lights below
and 3-lights
above, otherwise
3-light below to
bay 3 and
2-light to bays
2 and 3 above;
entrance doorway
in cambered arch
with square
label to bay 2.
North elevation
of 4-bays, with
2-light windows
mostly;
projecting porch
to bay-2 with
cambered arched
doorway and old
door, with small
sidelights in
the returns.
Interior rather
simple and not
much altered;
the South East
corner room has
some fine wall
panelling of
circa 1700; the
staircase is of
the early C19.
The farm was, for generations, owned by the Lords of the Manor of Kingston the Prowse family. The 1846 Tithe Apportionment noted that at this time the farm and its lands were owned by Captain William Jones Prowse RN. He was the son and heir of George Bragge Prowse (1767-1839) and was the last of the family to live in Yeovil.
From the 1832 Poll Book, it is known that the tenant of Key Farm was William Anstice (1781- ) and this was confirmed in the 1846 Tithe Apportionment. The 1834 Poll Book again listed William Anstice as the tenant although in this entry it was noted as Keyford Farm.
William's son, 21-year-old John Anstice (b1816) was noted as "of Key Farm" when his marriage of 5 December 1837 at South Street Chapel to Sarah, the daughter of Edward Taylor of East Coker was announced in the 9 December 1837 edition of the Bristol Mirror. The 1841 census recorded that yeoman William Anstice, his wife Hannah and son John were living at Keyford. There was, however, no sign of John's wife Sarah - possibly she died in childbirth? but I could find no further trace of her.
In February 1846, William and John Anstice announced they were quitting the farm and the sale was advertised in the 28 February 1846 edition of the Sherborne Mercury (see Gallery).
Key Farm was purchased by John Brook the Elder (1771-1847) who, until this point, was the tenant farmer of Aldon Farm.
The 1841 census had recorded that John Brook the Elder was a yeoman of Brunswick Street and that his sons John the Younger (1808-1888) and Robert (1811-1885) were both listed as farmers of Brunswick Street. It is most likely that all three lived in Brunswick Street, but farmed at farms on the edge of Yeovil.
Following John Senior's 1846 move to Key Farm, his son John Junior took over Aldon Farm. However, by the time of the 1861 census, John Junior had moved to Preston Lower Farm. John Junior died in Preston Plucknett in 1888, aged 79.
Sadly John Brook the Elder died at Key Farm in 1847 - the year after purchasing Key Farm. The 6 November 1847 edition of the Sherborne Mercury reported the demise of John Brook "October 31, at Key Farm, Yeovil, Mr Brookes, yeoman, at the advanced age of 77."
Since John Brook the Elder's first son Joseph Brook (1800-1882) was already established at Brimsmoor Tree Farm, Key Farm effectively passed to his fourth son, Robert Brook (the third son, William, is believed to have moved away). In the 1851 census, Robert was noted as a farmer of Key Farm together with his mother, Elizabeth née Lukins. Indeed, as the 77-year-old head of the family, Elizabeth gave her occupation as "Farmer 100 Acres employing 10 labourers". The farm was mostly devoted to raising sheep and Robert successfully exhibited his prize-winning Southdown sheep at many local agricultural shows. Robert Brook decided to retire in 1882, but sadly died at Key Farm on 18 November 1885 - his 73rd birthday.
Key Farm was taken over by a Mr Woolmington of Beaminster and his wife by 1884. They, however, left the farm in January 1890.
The next tenant of Key Farm was George Will and his wife Frances Susan. Sadly, Frances died at Key Farm in March 1895, aged 59.
By 1899, Frederick John Newman (1858-1922) was tenant of Key Farm. The 1901 census recorded 43-year-old Frederick, his wife Sarah and their six children - Ada (b1883), Annie (b1885), Edward (b1887), Bertram (b1888), Ernest (b1891) and Harold Frederick (1896-1965) - at Key Farm. Frederick Newman died on 11 October 1922 at Key Farm. His will was probated at Taunton and his effects were valued at £12,291 124s 5d (around £850,000 at today's value).
Following the death of Frederick Newman, his youngest son Harold took over the Key Farm tenancy. The 1939 England and Wales Register (the pre-war census) listed him as a farmer of Key Farm, together with his wife Dorothy née Pring (1894-1957) and young son, Frederick James (1926-1994). By 1951 Harold and Frederick were operating as "HF Newman & Son of Key Farm". When Harold died in 1965, the Key Farm tenancy was taken on by his son Frederick, certainly into the mid-1970s.
For details on
historic land
measurement (ie
acres, roods and
perches)
click here.
MAP
The fields of Key Farm are shown in pale green. The parcel, or field, numbers relate to the 1846 Tithe Apportionment - at which time all the green-shaded parcels were in the tenancy of William Anstice and owned by William Jones Prowse.
Parcel | Field Name | 1846 Use | Area |
736 | Gold's Close | Arable | 3a 2r 35p |
738 | Little Brown's Close | Arable | 2a 0r 0p |
740 | Spragg's Close | Arable | 6a 1r 2p |
741 | Godsalls | Arable | 3a 2r 6p |
743 | Tolwells | Arable | 4a 1r 30p |
749 | Key Farm House and gardens | 2a 3r 13p | |
750 | Orchard | Orchard | 1a 3r 8p |
751 | Orchard | Orchard | 0a 2r 7p |
754 | Leeches | Arable | 1a 0r 30p |
757 | Dry Close | Arable | 11a 2r 11p |
756 | Withy Bed | Moor | 0a 2r 20p |
758 | Kiln Close | Arable | 9a 1r 10p |
759 | Rookery | Arable | 11a 0r 22p |
760 | Lower Ash Walk | Arable | 15a 0r 3p |
761 | Higher Ash Walk | Arable | 14a 1r 13p |
763 | Red Mead | Arable | 9a 1r 10p |
Aerial Photograph
The 1946 aerial photograph showing the fields of Key Farm outlined in red. (Sorry about the missing bit at top left).
GALLERY
Courtesy of Somerset Council
Key Farm House, photographed in 1983.
The entry in the 1832 Poll Book showing that William Anstice was the tenant of Key Farm.
The notice of a sale at Key Farm in the 28 February 1846 edition of the Sherborne Mercury, noting that William and his son John were quitting the farm. The purchaser was John Brook the Elder.
A report from the 20 March 1847 edition of the Sherborne Mercury describing a break-in at Key Farm in which a sack of peas was stolen.
The notice of a sale at Key Farm in the 5 October 1882 edition of the Dorset County Chronicle, noting that Robert Brook was retiring.
This photograph appeared in the 14 July 1953 edition of the Bristol Evening Post following heavy rain storms. The photo caption reads "Heavy rain has beaten down hundreds of acres of standing crops in the West Country. Here, farmer H Newman is seen inspecting his flattened crop of oats at Key Farm, Yeovil."