NEWSOLE FARM, Singledge Lane, Coldred
The first information about this farm, sometimes called Mewsole Farm, is found in the records of the Abbey of St Augustine in Canterbury, to whom it belonged. The Earl of Guildford was the owner by 1800.
Photo taken 2017 (CH)
The original house was built around 1550, with Dutch gables added about 100 years later. The current façade is late 17th century and the building is Grade II listed by Historic England.
The 1841 Census showed that Kelsey Richards was the farmer. He continued to farm here, bringing up his family in the farmhouse, as well as housing male farm servants and a female domestic servant until sometime between 1861 and 1871, when his son Frederick took over.
In 1851, Kelsey employed 8 men on his 226 acre farm. From a newspaper report in 1859, we learn that he grew grey peas, when some were stolen ( see Dover Telegraph and Cinque Ports General Advertiser 12 February 1859 below).
By the time of the 1871 Census, Frederick Richards, aged 28, was recorded as the farmer, employing 3 men and 3 boys on his 235 acres of land. His sister, widowed father Kelcey Richards, and 2 visitors were in the household, together with 5 male farm servants, and one female general servant aged just 14.
In 1881 Census, Frederick and his sister were living in the farmhouse, together with a 75 year old female general domestic servant and 3 farm servants. Frederick employed 2 labourers and 2 boys at this point.
By 1891, Frederick was still farming at Newsole Farm. He shared the farmhouse with his wife, 3 young offspring, a female domestic servant and 2 male farm servants.
In 1907, Frederick left the farm. The stock that he had for sale by auction included 5 horses, 507 Kent sheep, 55 ewe tegs, 288 one, two and three-lamb ewes, 4 rams and 12 heifers. An ‘occasional licence’ was granted to the landlord of The Crown at Eythorne, to sell beer from a cart lodge at the auction.
In the 1911 Census, Albert Edward Russell was the farm bailiff, living with his wife and 3 of their children. He had a boarder and a lodger, with the lodger, Stephen Cook, being a horseman on a farm.
By 1921, Herbert Broadley was the farmer, living with his wife and 1 year old son. He was still there in 1957 when members of the Young Farmers Club visited the farm, which was then 380 acres, to look at the Hudson mechanical thinner for root crops, which was apparently the only one in East Kent.
Around the late 1960s, Dr Helmuth Hof brought the farm, with his daughter Marion later going into partnership with him. She continued to run the farm after Helmut’s death in 1991. There was a small herd of cattle, and fields of wheat, barley, rape and linseed.
When the new A2 was constructed, this severed part of the farm’s lands.
The Bates family were living in the farmhouse in 1997.
The barn was put up for auction in 2018.
Newsole Farm Cottages in 2017 (photo CH)
