Coley Park Farm

The Vachell family (amongst others) owned large areas of land from at least 1309 onwards. These included Coley, Southcote and Aldworth. Many farms were scattered among the estates. The Coley estates had two main farms, Little Coley Farm and Great Coley Farm - later to become known as Coley Park Farm.

Coley Park Farm
©Uli Harder 27-Sep-2005

Coley Park Farm was once the location of a grand manor house called Coley House, but commonly known as Vachell House whilst it was owned by the Vachell family. The house was located just to the west of the farm and close to the Holy Brook stream. It was built around c1550-60 by Thomas Vachell (1530-1610).

Some of the outbuildings of that era still survive, namely the round brick dovecote (1553), laundry, coach house and stables (1610), barn (1619) and some cottages. There are two bridges over the Holy Brook which may pre-date these buildings.

Cattle Bridge at Kennet Meadows c1850
Watercolour by Henry Clarke Pidgeon
(Image Copyright Reading Borough Council)

In the early 1800s, Vachell House was replaced by a new house on higher ground built by businessman John McConnell. This house is the mansion we can still see today from Wensley Road. It was named Coley House, but is today commonly referred to as the 'Mansion'. Some materials were salvaged from the old ruined Vachell House to re-use in the new structure. The rest of Vachell House was eventually demolished and leveled. Today, the area is partly covered by allotment gardens. The estates were purchased by John Berkeley Monck in 1810.

Rose Cottage on Yew Lane in 2005

Soon after the new Coley House was built, trees were thickly planted around the farm to hide it from the wonderful views enjoyed from the front of Coley House. Much of the original formal manicured gardens (popular by the mid-sixteenth century) which covered a large area from the farm to where Heron Way is today, were ploughed and levelled, and were replaced by grass covered lawns which bloomed with the colour of buttercups and daisies in early summer. Today, allotments, housing, schools and a church have all but swallowed up this once large area of open space.

The allotments are located where the original house and gardens once were. The woods around the farm now sport some sixty foot tall trees and has become dense with undergrowth and woodland plants. The tree-top canopy being a favourite nesting home for the local rooks in spring.

At the end of the 19th century the farm was owned (as far as I can ascertain) by the Wilshin family, but was soon after (c1910) purchased by John Bucknell (locally know as Johnny). The surrounding estate was owned by the Monck family who had been selling off parts of the estate since the early 1800s.

Mainly run as a dairy farm, some pigs and sheep were later introduced. Produce being sold to neighbouring areas such as Old Coley.

John (Johnny) Bucknell employed many locals on a seasonal basis for potato picking etc. During the 1920's when unemployment was at its peak, it has been noted that John Bucknell turned a blind eye to 'moonlighting' and even let them have time off to sign on the dole.

John Bucknell was very aware of the plight of the poor living in slums in old Coley. His milkman (Mr B. Johnny Billy) used to take his pony and cart, which had two milk churns either side, and go around with the milk and sell it by the pint, as the poor families had no facilities for storing food of any kind. Occasionally Johnny Billy would supply skimmed milk (with the cream removed) and this was sold at a penny a pint.

A highlight of every year was the Christmas Breakfast. This was paid for by John Bucknell and other local businessmen, and held at the local St Saviours Church hall. The lucky families were chosen by ballot held in early December at St Saviours Church. Most of the food was delivered by carts from Bucknell's farm. Children were presented with a bag of fruit, biscuits and sweets on leaving.

Poachers

Poaching was still around in the first half of the 20th century due to the areas semi-rural position. Coley Park Farm therefore got an unfair share due to the high unemployment and poverty from the nearby areas of Coley. In fact the favourite animal in many a house in Coley was the ferret, which was could catch many a rabbit and occassionaly the prize pheasant. Most of the prominent poachers were known to the community and probably to John Bucknell also.

One reader, Dianne Dabery writes that her great grandad, Earnest Gutteridge who lived in Wolseley Street, and who may well be remembered frequently sitting on the wall of the church with a bottle in his hand, had a son named John who was a local poacher. Now John and maybe with Earnest, guaranteed the family had a piece of meat or fish on the table. What was not required at home was offerred for a few bob to other folk.

Dianne goes on to say, that her uncle John Gutteridge was not the brightest of men - but could hold his own. It was told down the family that John had been arrested and was one of the first to jump train, whilst still cuffed and in police custody, when being transported from Reading to Oxford, then went on the run.

Not surprising that later John (and his brother Jim) ended up working for Bucknell's farm and probably better to have the poacher on side, so to speak. During the 1940's and into the 1950's, John delivered the milk in churns from the farm amongst other duties.

In 1937, John Bucknell took possession of the remaining Coley estates, including Coley Mansion which was let to the Ministry of Agriculture around 1945.

John Bucknell died in May 1954, but the farm remained with the family. By the 1970's many of the farm's original buildings were not in use and some of the fine farmhouses and stables dating from around 1610 were becoming overgrown and in need of repairs.

In 1952 the following residents are reportedly noted as living at Coley Park Farm:
(thanks to Colleen Thatcher for this info)

Listed as being at 54 Coley Park Farm (Bucknell House), located halfway down the old lane, was the owner John Bucknell and his family.

The names Allt Ward, Mrs Osram, William Clark and Rt Quinn at Homeward Cottages.

Cecil Battstone lived at Rose Cottage.

Ernest Everard resided at the house in the Kitchen Gardens. The Farm and the Kitchen Gardens originally being part of the original manor houses to provide home-grown supplies.

Ernest Roberts worked as a farmhand in the late 1960's, and used to round up the diary cows twice a day for milking.

The Kitchen Garden and Cottage

Restored in the early 1990s, the Kichen Garden surrounded by its 10 foot (3 metre) high red brick wall and the Gardener's Cottage in the wall, have survived and are both Heritage Listed. The cottage has a 19th century facade, but the building is much older. The front of the cottage being accessible from inside the walled garden, with the rear facing the Holy Brook on the outside of the wall (but this may have been reversed in the early days). On the right side of the cottage is a wash house.

A very early track used to lead from Reading Town along Pigney Lane, passing the then Little Coley Farm (near St Saviours Church), then up the hill towards the Holy Brook (now St Saviours Road) and follow alongside the stream to Coley Park Farm.

The local housing breached the wall in the 1980s and part of Arbour Close now lies inside the walls of the original garden.

Below are relics from the farm days - if you click on the Milk Can to enlarge it, you will see the inscription of John Bucknell on the lid.

Milk Can and Churn from Bucknell's Farm

After the closure of Coley Park Farm and the restoration of some farm buildings, the area has now become a very exclusive retreat. The lane has been named 'The Old Lane' and where the road forks at the farm, the left lane has been named 'Yew Lane' and the right lane towards the bridge over the Holy Brook is called 'The Brookmill'.

The clock on the coach house was restored in 1975 by a Mr Francis, son of a former Coley Park Farm shepherd. The bell located in the tower above the clock was inscribed 1681 Thomas Vachell. However by 2007, the clock is once again in disrepair and was even missing the hands.

Restored c1610 Stable Cottage in 2005

Yew Lane Cottages & Holy Brook
in 2006

Listed Heritage Buildings at Coley Park Farm
Coley Park Farm	East Bridge over Holy Brook		II
Coley Park Farm	West Bridge over Holy Brook		II
Coley Park Farm	Rose Cottage		II
Coley Park Farm	Building to south of Rose Cottage		II
Coley Park Farm	Barn		II
Coley Park Farm	Laundry Cottage and Stable		II
Coley Park Farm	Small Circular Dovecote		II
Coley Park Farm	Bailliff's Cottage		II
Coley Park Farm	Coach House		II
Coley Park Farm	Gardener's Cottage		II
Coley Park Farm	Kitchen Garden Walls		II
Grade II Listings: Important Building of more than special interest

VISIT THE GALLERY FOR MORE PHOTOS OF COLEY PARK FARM