Farms and Farming

Row Farmhouse, Kirby Row: 17th C Dutch gables at each end, blue pantiled roof tiles, two storeys and two bays at the west end. The Kirby Cane/Ellingham parish boundary runs through the building. (Robin Lyne)

Barn at Row Farm (David Arterton)

Dismantling the barn at Row Farm (David Arterton)

Harold and Charlie Hinsley, muck spreading at Row Farm (Derek Hinsley)

Harold died 1984 aged 83 He married Olive who died 1977 aged 77

Charles died in 1973 aged 77. He was husband of Violetta Hortense who died in 1971 aged 81.

They were the sons of Benjamin George Hinsley (died 1950 aged 91) and Charlotte Eliza (died 1943 aged 83)

Harold and Charlie Hinsley on horse drawn binder (Derek Hinsley)

Harold Hinsley at Row Farm (Derek Hinsley)

Horse drawn reaper at Row Farm (Derek Hinsley)

Horse drawn plough at Row Farm: Mr Hinsley with Fly the dog (Derek Hinsley)

Haymaking: Charlie and brother Harold of Row Farm (Gordon Read)

Norfolk Waggon of Hay (Gordon Read)

Mr Hinsley of Row Farm with Fly, the dog. (Derek Hinsley)

Litchmere Farm (Derek Hinsley)

Litchmere Farm (Diana Wadley)

Harvest at Row Farm (David Arterton)

Early Combine Row Farm (David Arterton)

Sugar Beet lifting Row Farm (David Arterton)

Massey Ferguson at Row Farm (David Arterton)

Row Farm Sale (David Arterton)

Abbott's Manor, Old Bungay Road, Kirby Cane.

Ellis and Ena Read at Station Farm 1950 (Tony Read)

Ellis and Ena Read of Station Farm 1961(Tony Read)

Tony Read on 'Bonnie Time' shire horse.(Tony Read)

George Slater and calf at rear of Row Farm (Gordon Read)

John Cook of Leet Hill Farm with a wooden tile placed in the barn roof by the carpenter Mr Youell. (John Cook)

The dairy herd at Leet Hill Farm (John Cook)

Drilling at Leet Hill Farm (John Cook)

Baling at Leet Hill Farm 1985 (John Cook)

Parravanis ice cream cart at Leet Hill Farm 1924. Augi driving the horse and cart. 'Try Parravani's for pure ices' on the canopy. (John Cook)

Sheep Walk Farm- original farm house. (Jonathan Peart)

Back of Sheep Walk Farm - now two houses. Jenny Webster and Harry (Jonathan Peart)

David Webster at Sheep Walk Farm (Jonathan Peart)

Church Farm from the north, Mill Lane, Ellingham. Grade II listed in 1951 17th century, probably timber framed, pantiled roof, steeply pitched with catslide over lean-to to the east, two storeys and an attic. James Buck (1877-1957) and Eleanor Buck (1874-1944) farmed here: Grandparents to Sydna Elliot. They moved here from School Farm. They had a very large family and the children would deliver butter and milk before school. Sydna would visit her grandparents on the train from Beccles and play with her cousins in the haystack (information from the late Sydna Elliott, whose mother was one of the children)

The site of School Farm, School Lane, Ellingham. School farm supplied the milk to Ellingham School.

Dairy Farm Ellingham. (Hannah Westgarth)

Information on Dairy Farm and the Chapman family suppied by Hannah Westgarth, Alan Chapman's daughter.

The Chapman's first came to Dairy Farm, Ellingham in 1909. Lawrence Christmas Chapman was born in South Walsham on Christmas Day 1872 and was farmer and miller. After running a mill in Durban, South Africa in the late 1890s to early 1900s he decided to come back to England. He rented Dairy Farm which was part of the Ellingham Hall estate. He married a lady called Mary Jane Hume, who was originally from Scotland. They had eight children and his son John Christian Chapman took over the tenancy of the farm when Lawrence died in 1936. John Married Phyllis Myall and they had four children. John Christian Chapman died in 1991 and his son Alan runs the farm now with his wife Pat and son Jonathan.

Press cutting of the discovery of Roman Kilns at Dairy Farm in 1976. Brothers Robert and Alan Chapman found the remains when a shed was being constructed.(Hannah Westgarth)

Information from Norfolk Heritage Explorer: Two Roman pottery kilns have been excavated at Dairy Farm (formerly Boon's Farm) The wall, flue, oven floor, fire chamber and stoke hole of the first kiln were recorded in 1976. The second kiln was excavated in 1996. Both excavated kilns had mortaria (kitchen vessels for pounding and mixing) used in their construction. There is at least one other undiscovered kiln at the site. At least five potters worked here. One called Regalis was identified from stamps on the mortaria and is known to have worked in Colchester. The kilns were used in the second and third centuries AD.