Farming - 1793
The agricultural revolution that took place towards the end of the eighteenth century resulted in increased financial returns for farmers. When Thomas Foley (VII) succeeded to the family estate in 1793 he took the opportunity to review the rents paid by his tenants. The audit of the estate cost Foley nearly seven hundred pound; a graphic demonstration of the size of his estate and the detail into which the audit went. The resulting document listed each farm, tenant, old rent, new rent, description of buildings, field reference number (as given on the 1745 map), field name, area, crop, rent value per acre, total area and total value. From this document it is possible to see clearly which fields had been combined between 1745 and 1793.
The biggest changes occurred around Bentley, where the strip fields were amalgamated by exchange. This process resulted in each farmer having most of his land within a ring-fence. Tenements were much reduced in number, but still in evidence around Bentley. Their disappearance was possibly a result of the general depopulation of the countryside that was occurring at the time, due to increased mechanisation of agriculture and the draw of the cities as the industrial revolution created new jobs. Holt Heath and Ockeridge Waste were still not enclosed.
There is an element of conjecture about the Little Witley farm boundaries in the absence of an older estate map. Here boundaries have been deduced by backtracking from the 1839 tithe map and apportionment.
In 1793 there was nearly twice as much arable as pasture. The largest arable area was to the west and south of Holt Castle, where deep, freely draining, sand and gravel deposits allowed easy and productive cultivation. The east of the aforementioned farm was pasture. The low lying nature of the lower river terrace made winter flooding likely, but this would have kept the ground frost-free and hence would have maximised spring grass production. Most other farms mixed arable and grass in an apparently random fashion that may have been a reflection on the grass/arable rotation used at the time.
New crops, varieties and techniques were being introduced at a rapid rate with the patronage of the likes of George III (Farmer George). Corn prices were rising, potatoes were becoming popular and 'old-fashioned' crops such as hemp and flax were in decline. Advances were being made in machinery and implement design. A plough, designed by British engineer Robert Ransome (1753-1830) in 1803, was particularly remarkable for its self-sharpening, hard-steel ploughshare.
An Iron Plough
Orchards were evident in Little Witley, but made up less than one percent of the area of Holt and Little Witley combined. They would have been mainly cider apples, perry pears and cherries. Cider was made on most farms and used in part as wages for the farm labourers. Both Lords Ward and Foley vigorously opposed the 1763 imposition of taxes of 4/- a hogshead on cider and 5/- a head for family members on farms where cider was made. The Act was repealed three years later after much opposition in the county. Cherries were transported to local markets and thence to the conurbations of the north. The orchards of Worcestershire were described by Pomeroy in 1794 as being '... .much crowded... If the bark has not escaped the teeth, not a solitary instance occurs where they have been preserved from the rubbing of the different cattle with which they are stocked. Such is the condition of many from age and neglect that they ought to have been replaced long ago.' Pomeroy's description alludes to the duel use of these areas of pasture-orchard, where livestock were grazed under the mature fruit trees.
Cider Press
Hop growing was very profitable, such that in 1793 Nathaniel Kent noted that some farmers would apply all their farm yard manure to the their hop-yards, to the detriment of the arable Land; and spend time tending their alder beds for poles, to the neglect of the pasture. Four percent of Holt and Little Witley were down to hops in 1793
Robert Bakewell of Leicestershire was working at that time on the improvement of farm livestock, so that specialist 'modern' breeds replaced local nondescript breeds. Locally cattle would have mainly been of the improved beef Longhorn, Hereford, Durham and Holderness type. Bakewell 's Leicestershire sheep were becoming popular for their wool. Incredible sizes were being claimed for fat pigs, with contemporary illustrations often exaggerating the claims. All dairy farmers were said to keep two pigs to every three cows.
Longhorn Cattle
A 'Large English' fat pig
Bakewell also bred horses and one of his animals, ‘an extraordinary black carting stallion' was stationed at the Hundred House, Great Witley in 1768. Many farmers still preferred oxen to horses as draught animals for when an ox reached the end of it's working life it could be fattened and sold at a profit, horses however were more agile and had relatively greater pulling power.
Robert Bakewell (1726-1795)
The audit of 1793 describes the farm houses and associated farm buidlings in some detail. Most of the houses were newly construced in 'brick and tile', however most of the farm buildings were still constructed of 'board and thatch' or 'timber and thatch'. One or two barns are described as being of 'brick and thatch' indicating that thatch was giving away to tiles immediately before 1793. It is clear from the construction of the barns around the two parishes today that most of the farm buildings were rebuild in brick and tile soon after 1793. The tenements and cottages in the two parishes were generally still of 'timber and thatch'.
Farmhouse and barn - both 'newly built' in 1793
The farm buildings typically consisted of a barn, cart shed, pigsty, stable, cowshed, hop kiln and cider press.
Map of Holt and Little Witley in 1793
Key to Farms on Map
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