Old Farm House, Attached Barn & Railings, 26 Henley Road, Shillingford
formerly listed as Old Farm House
Thanks to Sue Markham for providing details of dates and information on previous owners.
The house is Grade II and was listed on 18th July 1963 & amended on 14th May 1986.
This former farmhouse, now house is believed to have been built in 1759 and SL 1767 is scratched on a chimney brick in the roof space. The bays are a Victorian addition. Built of flared brick with red-brick dressings and red brick on clunch rubble plinth; there is an old plain-tile roof with brick stacks. To the left is a large rectangular bay window, with 4 sashes, contemporary with the matching bay in the 2-storey extension of the range to right. To right of the door are 2 sashes, probably in place of a single sash.
There have been various additions over the years including a bathroom that appears to ‘hang’ off the side of the house. There was once an Icehouse under the cart shed but it was under the left-hand bay which has now been demolished, leaving the two bays that exist today.
At one time a horse path went through to New Road, but this was sold in the 1990’s when a neighbour built on it.
An inscription in the garden wall reads ‘1982 A. BAIN’. Bain was a local builder who lived in Warborough. The wall had had to be rebuilt after falling down.
Unfortunately, due to the limited information on the census records I cannot confirm previous residents/owners.
12.09.1890 A Jane Tothill sold the house with some land, including 28 Henley Road and land including the Hartley Close area through to New Road to John Chalke
1891 Census has John Chalke, his wife Mary, and sons John Ernest Sylvester & Alfred Pomeroy Phillip living at the house. John’s occupation was an officer of the Inland Revenue.They have one servant, Emily Greenenough living with them.
In 1910 John Chalke sold to William Bliss and the 1911 Census has William and his wife Fanny along with one of their sons, Henry Ernest living in Shillingford. William was the grandson of William Bliss who built and founded Bliss Woollen Mill at Chipping Norton.
The successful woollen mill had got into financial difficulties under William Jnr’s control and the family had moved from Chipping Norton. The lived in Wallingford for a short time before coming to Shillingford. The 1921 Census shows William and Fanny still living there but William dies in 1925 and is buried in St Laurence churchyard.
In 1932 Fanny Bliss sold the Orchard to Margaret & Dora Charlotte Lee who lived at Greenacre.
At some point between 1932 & 1935 the area which is now known as Hartley Close was sold to the Council, who built a children’s home on the land.
In early 1935 Fanny Bliss sold to an Edith Watts. Fanny moved to Boars Hill, but she is buried with William in St Laurence churchyard.
Edith sold the property very quickly on 20th July 1935 to Evelyn Muriel Lyon Campbell.
The 1939 register shows Arthur Lyon Campbell, Captain, the Border Regiment, retired and wife Evelyn living in the property.
On the 4th December 1944 the house was sold to John Grace Churchill Spencer and he sold it two days later to Ashton Charles Allen. Ashton died in April 1945 and his estate of £137501.8s.6d passed to Gladys Rose Allen, his daughter.
On 16th January 1946 the house was sold to Sir John Knewstub Maurice Rothenstein, who was Director & Keeper of the Tate Gallery, for £5000.
Sir John renamed it Selbourne House, painted the back and right-hand side wall and the Stable block pink, and planted yew trees in the garden in an Italian style. His wife who was an American would have preferred a Tuscan Villa.
In August 1947 Sir John brought back the land from the Lee’s of Greenacre and then in June 1951 he sold everything to Charles Neville Ward Perkins for £6750.00
Retrospective planning permission was granted on 27th November 1951 to convert the stable to living accommodation (Formerly Sir John Rothenstein’s mother had lived there)
In October 1956, the property was purchased by John Antony Pott a solicitor and Charles Ward Perkins, a fellow of Pembroke College moved to Greenacre. Ward Perkins died in the Radcliffe Infirmary in May 1960 and is buried in St Laurence churchyard. His son Charles Barnaby Ward Perkins who died in 1960 too is also buried at St Laurence.
John Pott renamed the house – Old Farm House on 10th October 1956.
The land through to New Road was sold on 12th August 1983.
John had been injured in a burning tank and Malcolm Pitt who lived next door told the current owners that he had been treated at the McIndoe Clinic. Malcolm and John were close friends, and they were known locally as ‘the Potts & the Pitts’. John Pott died on 19th October 1983 and is buried in St Laurence churchyard.
Cynthia was a skilled needlewoman and made a little money from being a seamstress and made dresses for Agatha Christie. She also did beautiful smocking, sometimes attending local craft fairs, which she said were ‘ridiculously expensive’. Along with Liz Eaton and Hilary Christie (another great needlewoman) she helped set up the local craft fair which was held for a few years in the Greet Hall around Christmas time. She also had a pet tortoise!
Their son is the composer and pianist Francis Pott.
Cynthia sold the property to the current owners, Peter & Sue Markham on 18th June 1984 and moved to Hammer Lane, Warborough where she died in 1995, she is buried with John in St Laurence churchyard.
Research by Lynda Raynor – April 2024