Commerce: Dartington Hall Farms

DATE: 1926-1996

LEVEL: SubFonds

Commercial records of the Dartington Hall Trust Farms Department, and Dartington Hall Farms Limited, covering the reorganisation, management and development of Dartington Hall Farms together with the purchase and sale of additional farms.

Subjects include: finance; general farming activities; farm policy and committees; farm management and managers including C F Nielsen, F U Crook, Ronald Hawtin, and Francis Huntington; the establishment of Dartington Hall Farms Limited; the development and activities of a number of farms including amongst others Barton Farm, Old Parsonage Farm, Yelland Farm, Bulkamore Farm, Staverton Bridge Farm, Copland Farm, Droridge Farm, and Pelyne Farm; and The Dartington Hall Trust's involvement in a variety of projects and trusts including Howard Milk Bars Ltd, Dartington Hall Dairy, Dartington Foods, Symons Tree Nursery, alternative land use and organic farming, mini-holdings, shared farming, Rattery Farm and the Yarner Trust. There are records covering the future policy for the farms, currently subject to 30 year closure.

The records consist of: correspondence; memoranda; minutes; reports; laboratory reports; press cuttings; news letters; brochures; printed pamphlets; agreements; accounts including an account book for Dartington Hall Farms Limited; photographs; deeds; plans and maps; auditors' reports and company returns; employees wages and time sheets; a visitors book for Clifford Farm; a Livestock Record and Valuation book for Foxhole School Farm and Gardens; a Farms Management Committee Bound minute book (1953-1965); and a Yelland Farm Management Committee Bound minute book (1953-1960).

The primary aims of the Farms Department were to reorganise and develop the farms to achieve economic stability, increased return and to offer education in farming techniques and land management. In 1937 when C F Nielsen resigned as manager of Old Parsonage farm, F C Crook was given responsibility of both Old Parsonage Farm and Barton Farm. He was succeeded in 1945 by Ronald Hawtin. In 1974 Francis Huntington was appointed as Director of Dartington Hall Farms Limited. On his departure in 1982 Peter Booth managed the Farms. In 1984 a report was commissioned from Stratton and Holborow to look at the future of farm land at Dartington with the result that a Sharefarming Agreement was entered into in 1985 with Peter Booth for Yarner Farm and Ian Forbes and Don McDougall for Parsonage Farms. These terminated in 2003 and a Farm Business tenancy was entered into with Ian Forbes relating to Parsonage Farm and some of the Yarner land previously farmed by Peter Booth.

Dartington Hall main farms were Barton Farm and Old Parsonage Farm. Frank Crook had tenanted Barton Farm from 1922. In 1925 he surrendered his tenancy from 1926, but was to remain as a farm manager under the new Dartington Hall Trust regime. Barton Farm remained a general type of mixed holding farm but the layout of the buildings radically changed and two new farms were created from land and buildings. Old Parsonage Farm and School Farm separate from the estate farms and adjacent to Foxhole, the Trust established a 100 acre school farm primarily as an educational enterprise and to supply the school kitchens with milk and other farm produce.

Old Parsonage Farm was a new holding farm assembled between 1926-1930 from portions of Shinners Bridge farm, a number of fields originally belonging to Barton farm, land purchased from J Martin, and a number of surrounding properties at Lownard, Week, Yarner and Dartington Lodge. Specialising in dairying it was equipped with new buildings and managed along Danish lines by C F Nielsen. He introduced a labour saving block technique for centralising the harvesting of crops, feeding and milking of cattle, and general cleaning. In 1970 a number of trails were established on working farms sponsored by the Countryside Commission. The trails offered the opportunity to learn about modern farming methods and walks explaining features of the countryside. In 1974 the first farm trail at Parsonage Farm was established.

Other farms purchased by The Dartington Hall Trust included: Clifford Farm, a moorland farm purchased from Lord Hambledon in 1928. H and N Trope were appointed as managers in 1930 and the main house was converted into a guest house. The farm consisted mainly of pigs, a few poultry, cows, bees and 105 acres of woodland. In 1935 the Tropes moved to Yelland Farm to act as managers of the experimental piggery which the architect William Lescaze was asked to design which had been established under the control of James Luard. Copland Farm purchased in 1963 with additional land being purchased in 1964. Staverton Bridge Farm was purchased in 1953 from Harold Michelmore. In the 1960's the old farmhouse and some buildings were replaced by a new bungalow and set of farm buildings. In 1972, the Trust conveyed the farm to the Solar Quest Trust Company Limited (William Elmhirst). Dittisham and Elberry Farms were purchased to be developed as building estates by Staverton Builders in the 1930s. Pelyne Farm was offered in 1974 as a gift to The Dartington Hall Trust, the transfer was completed in 1976 and in 1983 was in turn given to the Plymouth YMCA.

Attempts at brand development of Dartington food products can be traced to the Hall Brand cider and Dartington Apple Juice brands of the 1930s. A consortium, Greencrops, was also established in the 1930s to market locally grown fruit and vegetables. The Dartington Hall Dairy was established about 1978 for the development and production of a range of commercial dairy products manufactured on a small scale at the Cider Press Centre and marketed through the Farm Foods retail shop and wholesale unit. In 1982, the dairy expanded and relocated to Old Parsonage Farm. It closed in 1985. Dartington Farm Foods was originally conceived in 1978 as a farm shop. In 1983, a licence was granted to market under the 'Paddington Bear' label. In 1985, a joint venture company, Dartington Foods Limited was formed and in 1986, a grocery range was developed. Dartington Foods Ltd continues today although it is no longer associated with The Dartington Hall Trust.

Information for Researchers

All papers belonging to The Dartington Hall Trust Archive (with the exclusion of Dartington Hall School pupils individual records) are held at the Devon Record Office. All enquiries relating to research should be made to Devon Records Office, Great Moor House, Bittern Road, Sowton, Exeter, Devon EX2 7NL
+44 (0)1392 384253
+44 (0)1392 384256
devrec@devon.gov.uk
www.devon.gov.uk/record_office

The following requests should be made direct to the Archives & Records at The Dartington Hall Trust as shown below:
Copies of images as seen on The Dartington Hall Trust online catalogue with appropriate reference number (Ref No.)
Permission to publish or quote from any document held in the Dartington Hall Trust Archive
Former pupils of Dartington Hall School wishing to view their records
Archives & Records
The Dartington Hall Trust
Dartington Hall
Totnes TQ9 6EL
01803 847200
yvonne.widger@dartington.org

This information is copyright The Dartington Hall Trust