History of Oakridge Farm
There has been a farm here for many years, probably part of the Chiverton Estate.We have not discovered all there is to know about Oakridge Farm,
but we do know that the original farmhouse and the stone granary barn were probably built in the early 19th century, about 1815.They were both built using stone
quarried on the farm itself, and roofed with Cornish slate which lasted over 150 years before it had to be replaced.
The original farmhouse has been extended several times, each time incorporating many features including the old back kitchen/wash house (now in our office),
curved garden walls (the porch and our office again) and a well which lurks under the floor of the breakfast room.The pump for the well is in the yard outside Holly.
The old stone walls are about two feet thick, which makes fitting modern facilities quite a challenge.
The barn was originally used to house cows and grain.The cows lived downstairs and the fodder upstairs.The steps on the west side are the original ones which the
farmer would have used. In Beech there are remnants of a chain swinging from the rafters which presumably would have been used in hoisting grain sacks in the loft.
Holly’s main bedrooms were the cowshed and Rowan, less romantically, was used as a sheep-pen. Rest assured, we have removed all signs of occupation!
The laundry room used to be a stable; the dustbin shed once housed pigs; the games barn stored hay; our coal-shed once housed chickens.
The farm used to be called Higher Engelly and is still so-called on some maps. It was once joined with the adjacent farm to the south, still called Engelly, but was split
off to provide a son with his own farm and the buildings erected.
In the 1960s the farmer changed the name to Oakridge Farm. In the 1970s most of the fields were sold off and the barn converted to holiday
accommodation. Our neighbour’s house and farm buildings are recent additions. |