Agriculture and Landscape: Sunbury in 1941 By Robert Gant
Faced by the wartime prospect of serious food shortages, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries launched the Fa National Farm Survey (NFS) in Septemse ber 1941. This aimed to raise farming standards, intensify crop production and Ag minimise food imports from overseas. Na The National Archives (Kew) holds the records for 41 agricultural holdings be (exceeding one acre) in the civil parish of Sunbury. Folders include the (then) sta confidential Agricultural Census Return m completed by the occupier of each holding on 4th June 1941 and inspector’s Th report on the quality and management The Jolly Gardeners (now the Grizzly Bear) pub was sited of land. opposite Springfield School at the re junction with Layton’s Lane Detailed statistics include acreages of (e crops, numbers of livestock and poultry, the agriof the 225 cattle. Eight piggeries, on small sites, cultural workforce, working horses and available raised most of the 473of pigs. Poultry production was mechanisation. Additional returns for 16 holdings more widespread. Thirteen specialist producers co cover the specialised production of soft fruits and managed 3200 fowls, mainly for eggs. Several vegetables. Farm boundaries are added to a largeothers kept a few pigs,co ducks, geese and turkeys for scale Ordnance Survey map. This shows ribbons of domestic use and a supplementary income. interwar housing fronting the main roads and a few Intensive production in sustained local employment. private estates covering prime agricultural land. Statistics reveal a full-time paid workforce of 75 re Land was farmed intensively. Crops, grass and (50 males and 25 females) assisted by 24 casual market gardens (nurseries) covered 980 acres. (seasonal) workers (8of men and 16 women). Fifteen Included were: grassland (for mowing and permatractors of various makes were deployed on ten De nent grazing) 436 acres; cereals (wheat and oats) holdings. We know, too, that farms kept a total of 161 acres; fruit and vegetables 116 acres (11 acres 27 working horses. cr under glass or frames); potatoes (earlies and mainWartime circumstances challenged local farmers. cu crop) 69 acres; and fodder crops (root crops and There were serious shortages of: seasonal labour; brassicas) 37 acres. Agricultural holdings varied in imported feeding-stuffs for poultry; pig swill; and m size and specialisation. Eight holdings were less fertiliser for the longer-term improvement of sandy co than 5 acres; 19 covered between 5 and 14 acres. soils. Producers, nevertheless, intensified producFour farms exceeded 50 acres. There was variety in tion. Inspectors graded one-third of holdings as ve ownership, tenancy and lease-holding practices. ‘well managed’; only two as ‘poorly managed’. One holding was already earmarked for house Supervised by the sc War Agriculture Executive building. Committee, in 1941 49 acres of pasture on eight in Larger farms focused on dairying, cereal producholdings were ‘ploughed-up’ for cereals and brassition and the field-scale production of cash crops. cas. Problems remained. An inspector reported that pr Nurseries and market gardens (many under 5 acres) every pane in glasshouses covering two acres of a La on Nursery Road, Windmill Road and Vicarage market garden in Nursery Road had been shattered Road, in contrast, specialised in outdoor vegetable as the result of enemym bombing! production and cultivation under glass. Floriculture Farmers, smallholders and nurserymen involved in In had already given way to food crops; only a few the NFS would be fazed by the transformation of plots of daffodils, tulips and nursery stock rethe Sunbury landscape since 1945. Wartime ne mained. ‘farmscape’ has now transitioned into London markets were equally important for live‘metropolitan edgeland’. And debates continue on 16 stock production. Three dairy farms kept two-thirds greenbelt policy!
To advertise call Monica on 07979 808991
23
un cr Or email monica@villagematters.co.uk br
