Beachcroft Lane today joins Moor Lane (Main Street) with Breedycroft Lane. But Breedycroft Lane may once have been called Benjamin Croft’s Lane, after it is believed the owner of Broughton Villa which is thought to be the Victorian era name for Broughton House.
Looking at the black and white photograph of the farmyard belonging to Broughton House, there used to be no through way because of hedge or wall which presumably divided Broughton House land from that of Oak Farm. The farmyards of each backed onto one another separated by a wall.
Broughton House/Villa
Broughton House 2005 (Ann Wilson)
It is the only property for which ownership in the Victorian period is established. In the mid 19C it was owned by George Wright whom Kelly’s Trade Directory classed as one of the principal landowners in Broughton. Both he and his widow Elizabeth were noted as being farmers and freeholders.
Built in 1750, two thirds of the house was knocked down and rebuilt in 1850 – as clearly evidenced when looking at the house from either the east or west elevation. Up to now this is the oldest date given for a building in Broughton but it is likely that some of the stone buildings which were once single storey, pre-date this.
The oldest part of Broughton House – red brick above stone – is attached to what will be one of the oldest cottages to remain unaltered on its exterior. Known today as Honeysuckle Cottage, it was made a Grade II Listed building at the same time as Oak Farmhouse and its other buildings.
By the 20thC Broughton House was left with no more than 10 acres of land. When occupied by Mr Ted Coleman, it was one of the smallholdings in the village which had cows. Mr Coleman was also the village pig killer and a livestock food merchant. He was forced under a Compulsory Purchase Order to sell off the land to Malton Rural District Council for the development named Beech Crescent; 5 pairs of semi-detached houses. The first tenants were Jeff and the late Margaret Paulin.
Broughton House was then occupied by Jim Wilson who kept racehorses as a hobby. In 1953 he was followed by Tom King, chairman of Broughton Parish Meeting 1968-1976. Mr King built a pair of semi-detached houses (Kimberley and Inglenook) fronting Main Street, in part of the walled garden, one each for his daughters. Parts of the wall still stand on Main Street.
Mr King was followed by Gilbert Snell, a poultry keeper, who sold off most of the land, including that now known as Dobson’s Yard on which stands 3 detached houses. Land between this and Main Street was sold to Alan Raines who was farming neighbouring Oak Farm. His son Guy sold the stackyard at the end of the 20thC for the development of 5 houses.
For further information and copies of part of conveyances please click here.
Oak Farmhouse
Oak Farmhouse, which is a Grade II Listed Building, was sold as a separate entity to the rest of the farm which today consists of agricultural buildings only sited in Broughton.
Two of the stone-built farm buildings sold separately have been converted into dwellings, retaining many of their outside features. (The Granary and The Barn).
The farmhouse was originally a two-roomed single storey stone building, two more rooms were added in front of these with 4 bedrooms created above, creating a central passageway. Later came a kitchen extension with bedroom above. Over the years there were 7 or 8 different extensions at the back. One in 1956 was demolished in 1977 when the twin brick extension was built by Alan Raines.
In the19thC it is believed to have also been called Manor Farm. John Potter, who also owned the Royal Oak in Malton’s Market Place, is understood to have re-renamed the farm Oak Farm after the pub. The Potter family were to marry into the Lund family as well as the Raines family who were connected with the farmhouse from 1934 to the end of the 20thC.
Oak Farmhouse, the only listed building in Broughton, still includes Honeysuckle Cottage which sits in the rear yard of Oak Farmhouse. The brick buildings on the north side of the yard were once a coach house, saddle room and joiner’s shop which were part of Broughton House, while the stone building on the south side was a blacksmith’s shop. Beside this was a red brick pigeon cote belonging to Oak Farm. Early 21st C the farmhouse and cottage with the rear yard were sold as one entity, with the other farm buildings (The Barn and The Granary) sold off separately.
Honeysuckle Cottage
This is now a four-bedroomed cottage and likely to be one of the oldest buildings in Broughton. It was a family home up until the 1960s. Among its occupants were Ted Warriner and his wife. She committed suicide by using the oven to gas herself and then Ted, a stockman, killed himself by drowning in the River Rye in 1953. He was found on 11th October 1953, some 14 days after he was reported missing. His suicide note was found by Derick Craggs who, aged 13 years, was hoisted through a small ground-floor window to search the cottage.
By 1964 Honeysuckle Cottage was used to house Irish farmworkers who previously bedded down in the outbuildings in the rear yard. The Irish workers came over from County Mayo to help with spring hoeing of sugar beet and then harvesting of sugar beet which was pulled by hand. The cottage was left empty after the Irish workers no longer used it. Early in the 21stC it was renovated but retains its character.
Hessle House
Hessle House at one time became Hazel House but then reverted to Hessle House. A fully working farm it was one of several farms/areas of land which probably once belonged to Old MaltonPriory, although it was once owned by a draper in bath. It is shown as having tenant farmers in the Kelly’s Trade Directory.
In 1872 it was farmed by John Rutter; in 1879 by John Peirson; in 1897 by Alfred Cundill. By 1913 it is shown under the name of John William Studley Potter who then owned Oak Farm.
The 3 bedroomed farmhouse, lastly home to the Craggs family, is today a flattened ruin. Oscar Craggs worked at Oak Farm, first for Guy Raines and then Alan. He was followed by his Derick who was only 14 when he began a 50-years long working life with the Raines family. A sister Joan was knocked down by a bus at Hill Top on the B1257 on the 11th May 1953. A brother Stan was to work for Ken Potter, born at Oak Farm, when he came the tenant farmer at Holme Farm.
AGW 2011
Speak Your Mind