British Pathé have recently released a large number of film clips from their news archives. One from 1940 shows sixty seven seconds of a farmer checking his fields on the Downs and his men ploughing them with heavy horses and early tractors. Click the still above to watch the clip on YouTube and read Geoffrey Harris’s Farmers in Fulking for his recollections of Downs farming in the 1930s and 1940s.
Category Archives: Farming
Too Much Too Soon
The Country Landowners Association has been telling the Midhurst and Petworth Observer about their views on the South Downs National Park Authority’s looming Community Infrastructure Levy. Their enthusiasm is muted:
An unfair and unreasonable CIL system .. could stifle the rural economy and exacerbate the lack of rural housing in the area. We are concerned the SDNPA is planning to introduce this levy too soon and without demonstrating sufficient evidence for a genuine consultation. If the new charges are to be introduced, they must be planned and delivered through a thoughtful, transparent and evidenced process rather than a rush to raise money. The stated date for adoption of the South Downs Local Plan is 2017, but the CIL charges are proposed to start in 2015. At the proposed rates, the levy on developing a three-bedroom house of 150 square metres, for example, would add £30,000 to the development cost. If these charging rates are not developed with care and evidence, there could be a severe consequence on rural development ..
[Discographical footnote: it is the forty year anniversary of the release of Too Much Too Soon by the New York Dolls.]
Saddlescombe Farm Open Day
The National Trust writes:
Discover this ancient downland farm that was once owned by the Knights Templars. Tours of the 17th century buildings, the surrounding downs and the walled garden. Displays and demonstrations of traditional work including; hurdle making, shepherding, carpenters’s workshop and more. This year we are delighted to introduce our new farmers Roly and Camilla — so watch out for newly born lambs and their sheep dog Belle. Tea and home-made cakes available.
Sunday 27th April, 10:30am–4:00pm, adult £5, child £3, family £13.
Tommy Brock safe in Fulking
West Sussex is a low risk area for bovine TB with a herd prevalence of around 0.1%, a level that has remained stable since 2006. So contractors with rifles are not likely to come after our large mustelid neighbours any time soon. If you really want to learn more then the just-published Strategy for achieving Officially Bovine Tuberculosis Free status for England [PDF, 85 pages] awaits your attention.
Fulking Parish Council – Planning Meeting Wednesday 5th March 2014
Fulking Parish Council will hold a Planning Meeting on Wednesday 5th March 2014 at 6.30pm in the Village Hall
TO CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING PLANNING APPLICATIONS:-
SDNP/14/00675/FUL
Perching Sands Farm Edburton Road Fulking Henfield BN5 9LS
Agricultural building to serve the needs of the farm with two internal stables for private use.
Full information available on the South Downs National Park Website – here.
Members of the Public and Press are invited to attend.
Members of the public are entitled to speak at the meeting for two minutes, by prior arrangement with the Clerk Mrs. Andrea Dickson , tel 01444 451060 at least 1 hour before the meeting. No more than two speakers for each application and two against.
Andrea Dickson
Clerk to Fulking Parish Council
12 Turners Mill Road
Haywards Heath
3000 years in 3 hours
Saddlescombe Farm, Sunday 23 February 2014, 10:00am — 1:00pm, all tickets £3.00, children and dogs on leads welcome, slightly challenging walk, advance booking not needed.
An opportunity to discover an ancient downland farm and its surroundings. Saddlescombe Farm has seen over 1000 years of history and still retains many of its old buildings, including the donkey well and 17th century barn. The surrounding downland holds even greater allure with over 3000 years of stories to tell.
More information: Graham Wellfare, 01273 857712, graham.wellfare@nationaltrust.org.uk
Flood inhibition
Six hundred trees are being planted on farmland in the South Downs National Park to help prevent a repeat of recent flooding and soil erosion.
David Hamilton Fox, who manages the Cowdray Home Farms, in West Sussex, said: “The River Rother in the heart of the South Downs National Park floods most years but this winter has been particularly bad. As well as misery for locals we have lost a considerable amount of topsoil, which is vital for growing crops, and will eventually increase the silt in the river – perhaps leading to more flooding.
More here.
Join the Saddlescombe education volunteers
Learning outside the classroom: join the new volunteer teaching team at Saddlescombe Farm. A new classroom is being developed in one of the farm buildings. The day will be spent introducing the education staff, meeting current volunteers and finding out what is planned for the future.
Friday, 24 January 2014, 10:00am — 1:00pm. More info here.
In memory of Geoffrey Harris
Geoffrey passed away in the Sussex County Hospital on the 4th December 2013. His funeral was held at Worthing Crematorium on the 13th of January. He was one of the very few left of his generation who had been born in, lived in, Fulking/Poynings all their lives. Geoffrey was born in 1929 at Perching Manor, he grew up and worked on his father’s farm as did his brothers. During the war, although under age, he was a member of the Home Guard where he became a crack shot winning many trophies and cups.
Whilst visiting Findon, Geoffrey met Jo, his wife-to-be. They married in 1950 and moved into the house called “The Perch” on the Edburton Road. By 1963 Geoffrey was running his own farm at Findon. As their family grew, they moved to “The Springs”. With a family of three growing lads, Jo decided they had to find an additional source of income to supplement the household budget.
Jo’s father had a smoked fish business in Suffolk which was working very well so she decided to try this idea out. With Geoffrey’s assistance they built their first small smoker. This was a success and soon they were having trial sales of the products and the business started to become established. Finally, the point was reached where Geoffrey had to decide to give up farming and concentrate entirely on the fish smoking business. His decision changed the whole of their family’s lives.
“The Springs Smoked Salmon” was established and grew from strength to strength. They were soon supplying the airlines and top London restaurants with smoked salmon and other smoked items. Whilst working very hard, they also found time to enjoy life with their well earned success. Occasionally he would recount fascinating stories of the wonderful holidays he and Jo had enjoyed in parts of the world which, in those days, were not as readily accessible as they are today.
In 1978 Geoffrey and Jo moved to “Downmere” in Poynings and, in 1990, they retired leaving two of their three sons to run the business at Edburton, whilst the third son went to Australia and started his own successful “smoked fish” business there, following in the family tradition.
I first met Geoffrey in 2003 when I sought his help for information for my book on the history of Fulking and Edburton. He agreed to help and we soon became good friends. The more I got to know him, the more I learned. He had an amazing wealth of knowledge on life in Fulking before and after the war and the vast of changes the village went through from a village of farm labourers, small holdings, nursery staff, etc., to the very different village we know today. He told tales of the problems he had encountered and had had to deal with, ones that required skill and diplomacy. He thought the world of his staff and treated them well.
Alas he will be sadly missed by all those who knew him.
Tony Brooks
[Editorial note: Geoffrey Harris’s own 2007 recollections of his life and family can be found here.]