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Potterton Grange Farm


Barwicker No. 22
June 1991



The name Potterton (Potter tun) means the settlement of the potter. Parts of Potterton Grange Farm, which lies on the right hand side of Potterton Lane just before Morgan Cross, are over five hundred years old and the site has been inhabited back to Roman times at least. In a field on the opposite side of Miry Lane was a medieval village whose foundations and ploughed fields are still visible. When the Potterton and Kiddal estates were sold in 1917 by the Wilkinson family, the farm was bought by the Dransfields. In 1959, it was bought from them by the Healey family. At that time it was a working farm, complete with an impressive set of farm buildings, wonderfully recreated on pages 30-31 by the late Bart Hammond. How only the dwelling house remains, no longer connected with any farming operations. The house is almost invisible from the lane but a glimpse of it can be seen from part way down the hill leading from Barwick to Potterton Bridge. When my husband and I went to live there in 1959, the entrance from Potterton Lane was through the old oak door A which was set, not as in the drawing but at an angle, as the existing wall shows. Farm carts etc. had to go round the buildings and into the farmyard through the gate at the back. The oak door was painted a dark red and swung on two long bolts. It fastened by a huge 'sneck' about 18 inches long which was raised with a beautifully made, twisted iron ring, which was turned to lift the sneck. The heavy door then swung open on its own and stayed back.


A narrow passage led from the oak door to a newer plank door and from there a concrete path led into the yard and to the house. The farm is on a sloping site and rain water ran down into the sunken yards and out onto Potterton Lane. Building L had stone walls and a 'thackstone' roof and was probably a fold yard in earlier times. The front however had been bricked-in at some later date using small, rose-coloured bricks, very beautiful and dating back to late Stuart times.

The tall barn N had three bays and, unlike the yards at the front, was as dry as snuff. The first bay on the left went almost as far as the double doors, which reached nearly to the roof and were faced with another pair of similar doors on the other side of the barn. The second bay had an extension to the front made of brick columns supporting a pantile roof. This was the wheel-house and it contained a tractor, one of the oldest I have ever seen, still with three of its metal 'spade' wheels. One of the back wheels had been replaced by a big drum and a belt passed around the drum and into the barn.

This bay was where the three Dransfield brothers made a variety of iron objects including 'dog-nails' for which they he Id the patent. These can be seen holding up the guttering of the old Barw1ck School on Aberford Road. They would buy a ton or so at a time of scrap metal to forge these nails. When they had an urgent order, all farm work stopped, even at harvest time, because this was the most lucrative trade that they had. The third bay went from the small door to the end of the barn and had been used as a hay barn, but we used it for keeping pigs, mainly Large Whites and Landrace crosses.

Building 0 was perhaps the most curious part of all. The ground floor was a stable with four large 'standings' for draught horses. The 'tack' room was in the corner and the Dransfields had left the harness and cleaning tackle there. Between the second and third standings was a space where there was a spiral staircase with 'flying' steps. Each step was made of very thick thackstone and they supported each other only at one end, at the centre of the spiral - a marvel of engineering. I have seen only one other like it, at Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire.

The spiral staircase went through the ceiling into the room above which was the old pigeon loft. All four walls were divided into six tiers of nest boxes, each a 12 inch cube. The staircase went up through the ceiling into a second storey of the pigeon loft, the walls of which were divided into four tiers of similar nest boxes. Through the 18 inch thick walls of the loft were slits to allow the birds to go in and out. The floors were covered in a thick layer of pigeon droppings but when this was scraped off we found beautiful elm planking, each board being 18 inches to two feet wide.

The pigeon loft makes me think that Potterton Grange Farm was once the home farm of Potterton Hall as these were the preserve of the lord of the manor or other prominent landowners. Pigeons provided the only fresh meat in winter when the surplus animals had been slaughtered as there was not enough food for them.

The granary P was entered by an outside stone staircase. This had been used for the drying of corn and was made of elm planks which shone like a dance floor. This had been produced by pushing the drying corn around with elm shovels, two of which had been left behind. Each spade was made from a single piece of wood and their backs were beautifully polished by the same process. The granary was supported (see View from B) by three thackstone columns, each about 2 feet round. These held up a strong thackstone lintel which supported the upper floor. Ye used the space below for tractors and carts.

The pig cote a, with its sloping roof and two separate pens, opened onto the yard but on the garden side were two slots which were used to feed the pigs with kitchen waste from the garden side. Behind each slot was a sloping thackstone flag which carried the food back and then a vertical flagstone guided the food down into the trough underneath. The wall divided the garden from the yard which was about three feet lower. It ran between the two stone troughs s.

When we first went to the farm, there was no sign of the old wall at the back of the garden but later, when I began to dig to make a flower border, I uncovered the wall, which like the others was about 18 inches wide, stone-faced with a rubble filling. The house had been completely surrounded by walls and buildings which sheltered it from the weather, making it very warm.

R was a decorative well-head above a spring and the water could always be heard running even in the driest summer, although it was no longer used as a water supply. There was a pump below which in the past had been primed by moving a stone flag and going dawn by a ladder. I once pulled up some of the water using a bucket and string and it was beautiful.

In the back wall of the barn T were three low holes which had been blocked of! from the closed space behind. We were very curious what they had been used for until the whipper-in of the Bramham Hunt told us they had been pens far fox-hounds. These, with the paved yard in front, could have housed about 15 couple of hounds.

The front of the barn T was entered by a split door and we used it to house from 20-25 day-old calves. It was one of our jobs to look after them. We think the Dransfields used it for their house cow as they had left old milking tackle behind. The next window U had originally been a door and the bottom step under it was still there. Inside under the window was a huge stone sink and, set pot and I decided to use the room as a wash house. When the stone sink was lifted out we found three steps coming up from the outside. We think that the Dransfields had driven the new door through the two foot thick wall and there were three steps up from the door within the thickness of the wall. The path along the front of the house was concrete as far as the door, but then it changed to flagstones grooved across, perhaps to carry the water through the wall away from the house.

The back of this part had once had two doors but one of these had been stopped up with old bricks. In the wash-house there was a fairly new set of wooden steps leading upstairs. It was suggested to me by Mr Philip Hayes, the archeologist, that this part had originally been the passage between the living quarters and the part for the animals, all under the same roof, but in fact the barn roof was higher than the house roof. The wooden steps led to the space above the barn T and this had been used as the bacon chamber with huge hooks (probably made by the Dransfield) driven into the beams. There were also hooks in the kitchen ceiling so that same bacon or ham could have been hung up to be carved off when wanted.

V was the alder part of the house with walls 18 inches to two feet thick. The kitchen was 29 feet by 15 feet w1 th a stone- flagged floor, which on first sight caused my heart to sink to my feet when I thought of the scrubbing, but thankfully we put some carpet dawn. Under the floor was a drain from outside which ran through the fold-yards out onto Potterton Lane. There had been two old settles in the kitchen but these had been got rid of as they were rotten. In this kitchen we had a square table with four chairs, a three piece suite and a huge oval table. We have had 20 people sitting at table there.

The ceiling was supported by three huge beams, two showing adze marks. One must have been broken at some time and had been mended by overlapping the two ends and fastening them together with a long plate held by two huge bolts about 18 inches long and two inches thick. There was a stone sink, bevelled by much scouring, and cold water from a pump. This was removed and replaced with a stainless steel sink. There were three Yorkshire sash windows but they had to be removed as the frames were rotten. There had been a huge fireplace with two inglenooks, which could be walked into. Into this a Yorkist Major range had been fitted, which had two ovens on top and one the side. This heated all the water for the house and it made lovely bread. The back door opened onto a flagged quadrangle with two steps up through the wall into the garden. Although this was sheltered by the buildings it was marvellous for drying clothes.

A door led from the older part V into the hall of the relatively newer part w, which was stone-built with a slate roof. The hall was stone-flagged and when this was taken up to put in wooden floors, a drain was found underneath. Where it led to we do not know, perhaps it just soaked away. Across from the door from the kitchen was the first of two pantries, which had obviously been dairies at one time as they had stone-flagged floors and stone tables round three sides. A further door led to what my husband said had been a killing room for slaughtering pigs. It had a stone table with runnels for the blood. From this a door led into a small room with a settle and an old-fashioned range in the space where another door had been. We think that at one time this had been the servants' kitchen.

Also opening from the hall were the dining room and the lounge, both about 15 feet square. The dining room was flagged but the lounge floor was of wide elm boards. In the lounge was a large fireplace with four fluted columns going up to a mantelpiece with a large mirror set-in above it. It appeared to be made of wood, oak- grained, but when I was cleaning it, I accidentally knocked off part of the surface of the base and found it was white underneath. I carefully scraped away the surface where it could not be seen and found that the fireplace was in fact made of white marble with a lovely golden streak. It had been painted' over. I spent a long time carefully removing the paint and when it was finished it was a picture. The tiles of the fire-surround were covered with brightly-coloured painted butterflies. In the living room, the fireplace had a red Delft tile surround. scouring, and cold water from a pump. This was removed and replaced with a stainless steel sink. There were three Yorkshire sash windows but they had to be removed as the frames were rotten. There had been a huge fireplace with two inglenooks, which could be walked into. Into this a Yorkist Major range had been fitted, which had two ovens on top and one the side. This heated all the water for the house and it made lovely bread. The back door opened onto a flagged quadrangle with two steps up through the wall into the garden. Although this was sheltered by the buildings it was marvellous for drying clothes. A door led from the older part V into the hall of the relatively newer part w, which was stone-built with a slate roof. The hall was stone-flagged and when this was taken up to put in wooden floors, a drain was found underneath. Where it led to we do not know, perhaps it just soaked away. Across from the door from the kitchen was the first of two pantries, which had obviously been dairies at one time as they had stone-flagged floors and stone tables round three sides. A further door led to what my husband said had been a killing room for slaughtering pigs. It had a stone table with runnels for the blood. From this a door led into a small room with a settle and an old-fashioned range in the space where another door had been. We think that at one time this had been the servants' kitchen.

Also opening from the hall were the dining room and the lounge, both about 15 feet square. The dining room was flagged but the lounge floor was of wide elm boards. In the lounge was a large fireplace with four fluted columns going up to a mantelpiece with a large mirror set-in above it. It appeared to be made of wood, oak- grained, but when I was cleaning it, I accidentally knocked off part of the surface of the base and found it was white underneath. I carefully scraped away the surface where it could not be seen and found that the fireplace was in fact made of white marble with a lovely golden streak. It had been painted' over. I spent a long time carefully removing the paint and when it was finished it was a picture. The tiles of the fire-surround were covered with brightly-coloured painted butterflies. In the living room, the fireplace had a red Delft tile surround.

Steps up from the kitchen led to a landing and a bedroom over the kitchen and a second bedroom separated from the first by a flimsy division. From the landing a step led up to another landing which continued to the front of the house but it had been partly blocked off to make a very narrow room. Leading from the second landing were the two bedrooms of the newer part of the house W. Both bedrooms had cast-iron arched grates and suffered badly from damp, quite different from the older part V. The bathroom was over the first pantry.

Opening from the lounge and dining room were two French scouring, and cold water from a pump. This was removed and replaced with a stainless steel sink. There were three Yorkshire sash windows but they had to be removed as the frames were rotten. There had been a huge fireplace with two inglenooks, which could be walked into. Into this a Yorkist Major range had been fitted, which had two ovens on top and one the side. This heated all the water for the house and it made lovely bread. The back door opened onto a flagged quadrangle with two steps up through the wall into the garden. Although this was sheltered by the buildings it was marvellous for drying clothes. A door led from the older part V into the hall of the relatively newer part w, which was stone-built with a slate roof. The hall was stone-flagged and when this was taken up to put in wooden floors, a drain was found underneath. Where it led to we do not know, perhaps it just soaked away. Across from the door from the kitchen was the first of two pantries, which had obviously been dairies at one time as they had stone-flagged floors and stone tables round three sides. A further door led to what my husband said had been a killing room for slaughtering pigs. It had a stone table with runnels for the blood. From this a door led into a small room with a settle and an old-fashioned range in the space where another door had been. We think that at one time this had been the servants' kitchen. Also opening from the hall were the dining room and the lounge, both about 15 feet square. The dining room was flagged but the lounge floor was of wide elm boards. In the lounge was a large fireplace with four fluted columns going up to a mantelpiece with a large mirror set-in above it. It appeared to be made of wood, oak- grained, but when I was cleaning it, I accidentally knocked off part of the surface of the base and found it was white underneath. I carefully scraped away the surface where it could not be seen and found that the fireplace was in fact made of white marble with a lovely golden streak. It had been painted' over. I spent a long time carefully removing the paint and when it was finished it was a picture. The tiles of the fire-surround were covered with brightly-coloured painted butterflies. In the living room, the fireplace had a red Delft tile surround.

Steps up from the kitchen led to a landing and a bedroom over the kitchen and a second bedroom separated from the first by a flimsy division. From the landing a step led up to another landing which continued to the front of the house but it had been partly blocked off to make a very narrow room. Leading from the second landing were the two bedrooms of the newer part of the house W. Both bedrooms had cast-iron arched grates and suffered badly from damp, quite different from the older part V. The bathroom was over the first pantry.


Opening from the lounge and dining room were two French windows, very tall and diamond shaped. These must have been fairly recent as the base was made of concrete. The porch had a pantile roof and the lower part was made of wood and the upper part of glass, with shelves around which made it a marvellous place for growing plants. My gardening activities led to the most important historical discovery of all - the medieval pottery x , which will be described in another article.

The long building running along. Potterton Lane had a tack room I and a loose box H at the 'passage' end. This was the lowest part of the farm and there were same sunken yards G, F and E in front. The silt washed down by the rain formed a fine dust in summer and thick evil-smelling mud in winter. It was about a yard and a half thick. When we tried to drive in a tractor to clear the yards, 1 t sank up to its axles and had to be hauled out by three other tractors. Finally, we got an earth mover to dig out the mud from yard G and found that it was cobbled, with a drain, blocked by the mud. The sunken yards had been used for pig or calf pens.

I always felt that Potterton Grange was and had been a very welcoming and happy home. It was protected from the weather by the buildings around it but all this was changed by a disastrous fire in about 1964. This started in the first bay of the barn and it destroyed all the buildings on the north side of the farm and we nearly lost the pigs there. We think a tramp had been sleeping there and had been smoking. The house became very cold as it was no longer shielded from the weather and we moved to Park House Farm cottages in 1973.

Sadie Healey


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