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Findon Farmhouse in the Horsham Road in the 1920s. |
This website, created by Valerie Martin, contains scenes from her home village of Findon, West Sussex, U.K.
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Findon Farmhouse in the Horsham Road in the 1920s. |
OLD POND GREEN
Text copyright Valerie Martin, 1998
Originally published in Along The Furlong in April 1998
I have been told that there was once a farm in the centre of Findon. This was within a stone’s throw from the present-day Findon Newsagency in the Horsham Road, which was at that time part of the farmhouse.
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Albert Short and his wife, Jane, ran
Findon Farm in the heart of the village in the latter half of the nineteenth century.|
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Albert Short Senior on the far left, with his son, Albert Short Junior, second from the right. |
In 1911 Albert retired to Kingswood, and his son, Albert Junior, farmed the land. In turn it was his son, Ernest, born in 1900, who managed the dairy side. Ernest eventually branched out to manage a milk delivery round twice on weekdays and once on Sundays. Mrs. Short and her daughter, Nellie, who was one year older than her brother, worked in the dairy.
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Old Pond Green from Nepcote Lane in 1904. Nellie Walls aged 9 years, (later Nellie Skinner), can be seen on the left. |
In those days there was a village pond situated in the centre of Findon. This was at Old Pond Green and a flint wall ran through the water. The pond never ran dry. Each teatime, a herd of some sixty cows from Findon Farm were driven from the yard to the meadows off the High Street. The beasts paused to quench their thirst at the peaceful pond en route, making an idyllic rural Findon scene in those far off days.
Bill Day, who was brought up in Findon, tells me....
"In hot weather us boys and girls sat on the wall running through the middle of the pond at Old Pond Green. Boots and shoes off feet, dangling in the water, cows and horses splashing us as they drank, if you slipped in it was a wet walk home and maybe a hiding".
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Pre-1930s. A photograph of Old Pond Green, looking north-east, taken by George Winton's wife, Kate, in the days when Findon Farm was a flourishing concern. The pond had a flint wall running through it's centre. The cows from Findon Farm were brought to drink here. |
The annual sheep dip also took place at Old Pond Green. It was a sight to witness hundreds of sheep dipped to kill the vermin on their fleeces. The dip itself was a huge concrete pit, and each flock was immersed, Noah’s Ark fashion, two by two. Albert Short made sure to have ample provision in the way of refreshments for his labourers during the dipping. Two-gallon jars containing cider were brought round to the thirsty men and were welcomed after the hard work.
On the last day of the Summer Term at the school, Albert Short provided two horse drawn farm wagons containing straw bales to act as seating. The two farm labourers in charge of the wagons were Jack Long, (born in 1897 and was in later years to become Findon's celebrated centenarian), and Kensey Tugwell (born 1867). The sound of horses’ hooves clip-clopping on School Hill was heard at around 2 o’clock in the afternoon. Children waited eagerly to clamber aboard the wagons to be off.
The horses clattered down the length of the High Street and over to Bost Hill. At the foot of the gradient, all children who were over nine years of age were asked to alight. This was to make life easier for Albert Short’s horses to take the steep incline. I understand that even until 1932 the Bost Hill was still only a chalky farm track where anyone could walk without fear of traffic.
Upon reaching their destination, which was High Salvington Windmill, a tour was conducted of the mill. Following the educational exercise, games and a grand tea were provided in the grounds of the windmill, and were thoroughly enjoyed by all. Then the tired children climbed aboard the carts and the horses delivered them back down to the village to their parents.
Albert Short Junior died in 1945, and the end of the farm in the centre of Findon was in sight. Development of the surrounding farmland was nearing. In 1963 the Roman Catholic Diocese purchased the parcel of land at Old Pond Green with the intention of building a church. The notice at Old Pond Green in the photograph depicts this intention and reads "SITE FOR CATHOLIC CHURCH." Very attractively standing in the background is the old Gun Inn. As all Findonians will know, the church was destined not to be built.
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Old Pond Green area in 1963. |
The Roman Catholic Diocese subsequently acquired the convent site at the Home of the Holy Rood in Nepcote. It was renamed Convent of Sion and the building stood until it was finally demolished in February 1998.
The Old Pond Green area was placed back on the market. As a further attraction for prospective buyers it now contained the added carrot of planning permission for two dwellings.
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Old Pond Green area in the 1960s. Original photograph by John Pelling. |
Old Pond Green had been an open space for centuries, and was the last remaining public grassed area left in the centre of Findon, lying at the bottom of Stable Lane. The Parish Council, and other interested Findon bodies, made the strongest representations possible and voiced that Old Pond Green should remain a dedicated open space and not be developed and built upon. Fortunately, this protest did not fall on deaf ears. Through the good offices of the Worthing Rural District Council, the purchase was deemed possible at a cost of £6,000. This was with the proviso that the inhabitants of Findon donated a voluntary contribution of £500. The Findon Village Preservation Association had a growing membership of 458 at the time, and considered the project merited its help and immediately went into action. They rallied round and undertook the enterprise of a collection to save the site from the threat of the house builders.
Keith Middlemas lived at Findon Place, the old Manor of Findon, near St. John the Baptist Church, and was Chairman of the Findon Village Preservation Association at the time. In April 1973, he undertook the task of writing an explanatory letter outlining the proposals and the raising of the money. This letter was delivered to each and every householder in the village. The Treasurer of the Worthing Rural District Council was duly handed a cheque for £500. A further £100. had been collected to provide seats, plants and shrubs for Old Pond Green.
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The outcome is for all to see a quarter of a century later — a perpetual open green sward preserved for us to enjoy at Old Pond Green.
Here are a few up to date pictures of Old Pond Green in September 2004....
 Old Pond Green looking north at precisely 09.05 a.m. on an autumn Sunday. The white Honda is mine with the dogs sitting in it waiting to go to Cissbury Ring and they wondering what I'm doing fiddling about in the village when they're waiting to go out! A couple of Nick Gifford's racehorses clip-clop up Nepcote Lane and their riders are so busy talking that they don't even see me standing in Tudor Close. |
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Old Pond Green looking west. That's the ancient Gun Inn on the left with School Hill running up alongside. |
 Old Pond Green looking south. That's Grey Point on the right of the photograph. |
 Having tripped over the grass wet with dew — here's Old Pond Green looking east. |
Continue if you would like to read about Fred Mustchin when he worked for Findon Farm.
This is Findon — www.findonvillage.com is a continually growing record created exclusively for documenting life in Findon.
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E-mail: valeriemartin@findonvillage.com |
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