Search the Site
Create a Site
Read the News
Whats On
Walking through our residential area today is a far cry from how it once was. The area was once known as Tower Hill where, it is believed, a Signal Fire was sited as part of the chain to warn if Napolean ever invaded England. The land on which we live originally formed the rear grounds of three very old houses in High Street namely: "The Hill" (93), "Hill House" (95) and Tower Hill Farm" (115)
Tower Hill Farm is thought to have been built in the 16th or 17th centuryand early records show that, in 1810, it was owned by Thomas Butler. After a series of owners it passed, in 1927, to Frederick Bateman. The "Batemans", local shop owners, were very well known in the villagewhere, for a 100 years, the family ran a village store on the corner of Church Street and The Moors. This location became known as "Batemans Corner". One of our residents is a descendant and is the Farm's current owner.
Variously, over the years, the land upon which our homes stand, was used for pony grazing, pig breeding, and in the 60's for rabbit breeding! Stauesque Bramley and Blenheim apple trees formed the large orchard. Only the Bramley on The Green survives. A large flock of geese used to roam the area in daytime but, because of the foxes, were penned up at night. The foxes appear to have got wise to this and, in 1995,the last of the geese were killed in a daytime raid by foxes.
Many features of Tower Hill Farm and its outbuildings remain intact. The Apple House, for example, contains one of the longest single section wooden ladders surviving to this day.
Graphic version of this page