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Sportspace - Hemel Hempstead
 
 
Thursday, 9th September 2010

 
CORNER FARM

FAMILY MEMBERS OUTSIDE CORNER FARM IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY

ANY people want to know more about one of Hemel's oldest buildings in redbourn Road, opposite MFI.
It has been for sale for some time, but Angela How of Adeyfield can tell us more - it was Corner Farm and her family had farmed it from 1855 to 1928.
The farmhouse still stands, on the corner of Pennine Way, nearly opposite the MFI store.
Angela has done a lot of research into her family history - members of the family also farmed at Cox Pond Farm and Wood Lane End Farm - and has uncovered much detail about farming life in Hemel Hempstead. Farming was then a very important part of local life and Daniel How, who lived at Corner Farm, was High Bailiff of Hemel Hempstead in 1883 - he’d moved to the town from Pockets Dell, Bovingdon.
Besides agriculture, there was a bakery at Corner Farm and in the 1880s the Hows made bread using potatoes - much later the bakery was sold to a Mr Reeves who ran it from a shop in Angela says that between 1908 and 1912 the farm had two regular hay-carters called Howe and Cook.
Their job was was to drive the horse and carts laden with hay to wealthy homes in London which had stables.
They would stay overnight in London, have a rest day, and then return with a load of soot or manure from the stables for the farm land.
Matthew Leno was the relative who lived at Cox Pond Farm in the late 19th century
He called it The Pheasantries as he was a breeder of fancy poultry and pheasants and also renowned as a judge of birds, travelling throughout Europe.
He, too, was High Bailiff for Hemel Hempstead for two years,1886 and 1887.

A LATER PICTURE OF THE FARM BUILDINGS

Angela has kindly lent us the two pictures of Corner Farm from her family archives. The top picture shows family members and Harry How standing on the cart holding the farm-made bread. The bottom picture is a view of the farm similar to that in the painting.
 
 

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