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c. 1954 Findon Farmhouse was at this time The Farm Hotel and Restaurant. |
This website, created by Valerie Martin, contains scenes from her home village of Findon, West Sussex, UK.
WINDS OF CHANGE
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c. 1954 Findon Farmhouse was at this time The Farm Hotel and Restaurant. |
Copyright Valerie Martin 1999.
First published in Along the Furlong in March 2000.
I have to admit that the village of Findon grew rapidly in the 1950s and 60s after the sale of the larger houses —Greypoint, Holmcroft and Findon Farm. Holmcroft was a detached (and quite imposing) Georgian property in the High Street and received Planning Permission for some twenty bungalows (now known as Holmcroft Gardens) in its half-acre garden...the house itself being sold at auction for a mere £16.065. Thus the centre of Findon was gradually filled with houses and bungalows, although the extent of the development was cleverly disguised by the retention of large trees and hedges.
The Findon Farm Riding School, run by Janette Hurren, daughter of the manager of Bentalls in Worthing, was set up on part of the old Findon Farm (on the site of The Willows) in the 1950s. This was in rivalry for a time with another Findon Riding School. A piece of Victorian eccentricity in the form of an arch was erected around 1867 in Worthing by a Dr Cyrus Elliott, who built it on land known as The Quashetts. Near here, aptly named and taking its title, was formerly the home of the Ivy Arch Riding School run by Miss Edna Seward before it came to the Stable Lane area in Findon in 1950s. The Findon land was subsequently sold and Ivy Arch Close was built off Stable Lane in Findon.
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Ivy Arch in Worthing. This was demolished in 1967. |
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c. 1960 Findon Farm entrance on the Horsham Road. The end is nigh. (Photograph by John Pelling) |
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c. 1960 The overgrown granary, stable and yard from the Horsham Road. (Photograph by John Pelling) |
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The tiles are stacked ready for removal from the granary during demolition. (Original photograph by John Pelling). |
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Nettles grow high in the yard before the demolition of Findon Farm. (Original photograph by John Pelling). |
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The rear view of the flint granary at Findon Farm. (Original photograph by John Pelling). |
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Devastation during the demolition of Findon Farm. (Original photograph by John Pelling) |
Findon had changed a lot since the time of Albert Senior and Albert Junior and the traffic now passed by the village but not through it. The roar and rush could be heard, but only as a gentle hum, and though much has altered, outwardly time was kind with the village street where once the farmhouse of Findon Farm stood.
Work commenced on the building of 107 properties on the 13 acres of agricultural land between Stable Lane and the Horsham Road in 1961. There was a bungalow as a "show home" for potential buyers.... the cost being £4,750.
The Willows development was destined to be built on the once farmyard site, whilst the actual Findon Farmhouse was eventually modernised and converted into a private dwelling.
In January 2008, John Stepney of Findon sent me this photograph....
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This is the construction site of houses in progress in the Beech Road area on the old Findon Farm agricultural land in the 1960s. The Horsham Road can be seen running left to right and Rose Cottage is easily recognisable. Church Hill is the backcloth. |
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The Findon Farm building construction site again... view down Downview Road with Homewood bungalows in view. Church Hill is the backcloth. |
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Finally the new housing estate grows up around the last barn awaiting demolition — Church Hill can be seen in the background. (Original photograph by John Pellling). |
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Houses under construction. |
The farmland may have gone but the memories linger on.
Continue if you would like to read about Mr. Mansell and the Findon Farmhouse Cellars.
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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