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."