Farms in and around Harpenden
1880s to 1930s
A selection of our photos – Home Farm, Cross Farm, Bamville Farm, Redbournbury Farm, Watler’s Farm, Upper Topstreet Farm (The Granary). Of these, only Cross Farm still survives at the southern edge of Harpenden.
Please click on the small picture to see it full size, with a brief caption.
Comments have been added about images 12 and 13 on The Granary.
1. Home Farm and Stakers Lane (now No1 Station Road - 1880
Cat no HC 164
2. Sketch of Home Farm - corner of High Street and Station Road by F G Kitton
Cat no HC 051
3. Cross Farm, entrance through farmyard, Cross Lane -1920's
Cat no HC 056
4. Cross Farm from east-1920's
Cat no HC 057
5. Cross Farm -1917 - watercolour by Ernest Heasman
Cat no Slides B 3.3
6. Cross Farm - 1900's - sketch by A T Mardall
Cat no Slides B 3.89
7. Bamville Farm - 1900's - sketch by A T Mardall
Cat no Slides B 3.93
8. Redbournbury Farm -1930's sketch by A T Mardall
Cat no Slides B 3.86
9. Watler's Farm, Queens Road - 1890, demolished in 1960s
Cat no Slides B 2.12
10. Watler's Farm, Queens Road - 1930's
Cat no Slides B 2.11
11. Donkey Wheel at Annables Farm - donkey named Dink
Cat no HC 168 - copy from photo by F.Thurston
12. The Granary, formerly known as Upper Topstreet Farm, Crabtree Lane - 1920s
LHS archives - LHS B.86
13. The Granary (Upper Topstreet Farm) scan of water colour; artist's name and date unclear
Scan sent by Jennifer Coville - see her Comment on the previous picture
Comments about this page
Any photos or information about Manland Farm anywhere?
Ed. It would appear that Manland – and Westfield – ‘commons’ were remains of old open-field systems as recorded in the 1843 Tithe award – parts in small strips. These were gradually absorbed into neighbouring landholdings and formed part of the Harpenden Estate (formerly owned by the Packe & Pym families) which was sold in 1882.
My grandmother was housekeeper to a Miss Pickering at The Granary during the mid 1940s. I visited The Granary then myself but cannot remember details now.
My granny (nee Willmott) lived in The Granary (the last two pictures in the sequence) in 1904, when she married. Her parents before that, her father being Frederick Willmott. I have a water colour of the house (see the last image). The artist was my Auntie Ethel, her maiden name was Wilmott. Can’t remember her married name, maybe Pickering.
The artist was my Auntie Ethel, her maiden name was Wilmott. Can’t remember her married name, maybe Pickering.
My great great grandfather William Davies was the farmer here from around 1861 till it was auctioned, I believe, in 1873.
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