Brick Kiln Farm
Courtesy Jon & Fran Elliott
Early History
The delightful house Brick Kiln Farm was built between the late 1830s and early 1840s, during the early Victorian era. However from the outside, it has all the characteristics of a Georgian house – having symmetry, balance, a central door with fanlight, as well as sash windows.
Large
Robert Large owned the property at the time of his death in 1843. Large also owned a nearby cottage (divided into two tenements), as well as a considerable amount of adjoining farmland. In addition, he owned a house just off Long Street.
Stedman
Following Large’s death, the farmhouse was occupied by his eldest daughter, Mary Ann West Large. Later in life, Mary married farmer John Stedman and they continued to occupy (and own) Brick Kiln Farm. It was after John Stedman’s death in 1877 that Mary Stedman vacated Brick Kiln Farm.
Nevertheless, Mary Stedman remained the legal owner of the farm. In 1887 and 1889, Mary borrowed money which was secured by a mortgage over the property. At the time of Mary’s death in 1891, the debt remained outstanding and due to William Partridge Cubitt.
Cubitt
In 1902 (some 10 years after Mary Stedman’s death), Cubitt exercised his power of sale as mortgagee. This power is afforded to him by the mortgage deed. He sold Brick Kiln Farm to George Baly who in 1917, sold the property to William Easlea.
Easlea
The Easleas owned the property from 1917 to 1950.
We continue the history of Brick Kiln Farm in 1950, when Edna Easlea sold to Edwin Robert Houchen.
Edwin Robert & Eleanor Annie Houchen
On the 10th August, 1950, widow Edna Easlea sold Brick Kiln Farm to farmer Edwin Robert Houchen of Ivy Todd Farm, Necton.
At this time, Brick Kiln Farm comprise of a farmhouse, barn, stable and other buildings as well as just over 43 acres of land. The agreed purchase price is £3,750.
Earlier in 1927, Edwin Robert Houchen had married Eleanor Annie Holland. The 1939 Register for England & Wales captures Edwin (as Robert Houchen) and his wife Eleanor at the General Stores in Necton. The couple may well have had four children between 1929 and 1935.
Further Sale of Land
It is during Edwin and Eleanor Houchen’s ownership that various parts of the land and premises ‘belonging’ to Brick Kiln Farm were sold off.
Indeed in 1955, Edwin Houchen sold some 20 acres of the land to Aubrey Dick Fincham.
Death of Edwin Robert Houchen
Church of St James, Great Ellingham
Edwin Robert Houchen of Brick Kiln Farm died on the 7th April, 1965 at the age of 64. He was buried as Robert Edwin Houchen in the churchyard at St James, Great Ellingham on the 10th April.
He made his last will & testament on the 19th March, 1935, whilst living at The Stores, Necton. Edwin Robert Houchen added a codicil to his will on the 2nd February, 1965, just a couple of months before his passing.
In his will, Houchen appointed his wife and his brother, William James Houchen, as his executors. As it happens, it was only his wife Eleanor who proved the will in May 1965, William Houchen having renounced.
Auction of Brick Kiln Farm
Soon after her husband’s death, Eleanor Houchen decided to sell Brick Kiln Farm. An auction is arranged to take place at the Royal Hotel, Norwich on Friday 9th July, 1965.
The property to be sold in two lots:
Lot 1 - The Very Attractive Small Country Property with 3¾ acres of land known as BRICK KILN FARM GREAT ELLINGHAM occupying a good position beside the road from Great Ellingham School to Hingham, about 3½ miles from Attleborough, and 16 miles from Norwich and Thetford
Description
The auction particulars and conditions of sale also provide an excellent description of the property as it is in 1965:
The COMFORTABLE MODERNISED HOUSE in a very pleasant setting of lawns and flower borders flanked by cupressus trees and bushes, is mainly constructed of brick with pantile roof, part at the rear being clay rough cast over. It has the following accommodation:
Entrance Lobby and Staircase;
SITTING ROOM 14’ 3” x 12” 6” with modern tiled fireplace, and partly glazed door to garden, pamment floor;
DINING ROOM 14’ 3” x 12” 6” with modern tiled fireplace, boarded floor and partly glazed door to
CONSERVATORY
KITCHEN with Rayburn cooker and water heater, sink (h and c), cupboard and fixed dresser with timber and corrugated iron Utility Room and sliding door;
PANTRY with range of sliding door cupboards;
LARDER with shelving and light point;
CLOAKROOM with W.C. and basin (cold supply)
On the First Floor:
BEDROOM 1 14’ 3” x 12” 6 with fire place and cupboard;
BEDROOM 2 14’ 3” x 12” 6 with fixed cupboard;
Small Dressing Room or Single Bedroom
DOUBLE BEDROOM 3 with fixed cupboard;
SINGLE BEDROOM with airing cupboard;
BATHROOM with bath and hand basin (h and c) and W.C.
SERVICES: Mains electricity and mains water. Septic tank drainage
WELL KEPT FRONT GARDEN. Kitchen Garden and small orchard; range of brick clay rough cast and filed Fuel Sheds.
Farm Buildings & Site of former Brick Kiln
The particulars also provide details of the ‘Convenient Farm Buildings”:
…brick, timber and corrugated iron range of three store sheds, stud and plaster and pantile Barn, part with loft over, brick and tiled tractor house, loose box, old cowhouse converted to two loose boxes, small store, Brick clay and corrugated iron Garage, timber and corrugated iron Implement Shed, brick clay and tiled loose box, small store with loft over, tractor house, loose box, brick and concrete walled cattle yard with timber and corrugated iron shelter shed, brick clay and tiled range of four loose boxes
Lot 2 - The Adjoining Enclosures of Arable, Pasture and Orchard Land with frontages to the Great Ellingham-Hingham and Little Ellingham-Deopham airfield roads, containing about 15 Acres 3 Roods 15 Perches of very useful mixed soil well drained land…
This lot included the land which over a century earlier was the site of a brick kiln, brick sheds and yard. This particular area was rich in brick earth.
Withdrawn
A manuscript note on the copy of the auction particulars and conditions of sale held at the Norfolk Record Office (catalogue reference MC 39/455), suggests that Lot 1 was withdrawn at £3,400 and Lot 2 withdrawn at £3,700.
Sale to Bennett
In the event, on the 8th November, 1965, widow Eleanor Annie Houchen of Brick Kiln Farm, Great Ellingham, sold Brick Kiln Farm with the garden, farm buildings and certain pieces of pasture land (altogether 5.327 acres) to farmer Arthur Ernest Bennett of Plantation Farm, Attleborough. The purchase price was agreed at £3,500. I am confident that Arthur Bennett occupied Brick Kiln Farm.
I can only assume that Eleanor Houchen separately sold off the remaining parcels of arable land amounting to nearly 15 acres.
New Owners
Within two years, Arthur Bennett sold Brick Kiln Farm. However the acreage of land sold with the house, garden and farm buildings, has now reduced to 1.160 acres.
Going forward, the house was the family home of the Harrisons, then the Wrights and, by 1980, it was occupied by the Kent family.
Family Home
Over the last 180 years or so, this wonderful house will have witnessed the rites of passage of many of its inhabitants.
Brick Kiln Farm’s appearance may have changed little over time, but there is no doubt that the interior will have seen some modernising or updating with the passage of time.
The house has certainly stood the test of time from the beginning of the Victorian era, through the Edwardian period, the reign of George V, the Great War, the reign of George VI, the abdication of Edward VIII, WWII, and through the long reign of Queen Elizabeth II.
Today it is still very much a treasured family home.
Sources:
Private Deeds Collection Thanks to Jon & Fran Elliott
GRO Index. Also available Free BMD website
Great Ellingham Parish Registers Norfolk Record Office PD 609. Also available via www.ancestry.co.uk
1965 Auction Sales Particulars and Conditions of Sale. Brick Kiln Farm. Norfolk Record Office MC 39/455