
The Estate - Bevendean History Project

Norman Allcorn remembers who lived on the Bevendean Farms in 1939

Upper Bevendean Farm
Starting at
Upper Bevendean, Harold West had two sons of my age that I played with
occasionally. Mrs West gave me my first taste of pumpkin
pie. One Christmas they had a large Christmas tree complete with
real candles. Yes real candles about one cm. thick and attached
to the tree with metal clip-on holders. What a risk! And
then of course there was the pond. What small boy can ignore a
pond. Also of note at Upper Bevendean farm was a tractor
driver. (Lower Bevendean farm had two carters).
Brown Loaf Farm
Coming down the hill is Brown Loaf Farm. These pig farmers collected edible waste from Brighton hotels and shops and boiled it in a ‘copper’ turning it into swill to be fed to the pigs. Roy Edwards was my father’s friend. He was a small hunch back who was interested in things mechanical. He had a small tractor made out of a car chassis with a second gear box too slow it down. He taught my father to drive. (Because my father drove during the war, he never passed a driving test.)

Lower Bevendean Farm
Then to Lower Bevendean. The cottage named ‘Alfriston’ was at the western end of the pair of cottages to the east of the farmyard. The Howes had two children but only one is redacted. Perhaps one had left by this time. No. 1 cottage was in the farm yard opposite the cow-stall and stable. Mr. Baldwin did not have far to go to work! Charlie was my playmate, as was Mary, who was my age; both her and her older sister Grace are redacted. Who the other two blacked out names were, I do not know because I thought Charlie was the youngest of this family.
‘The Cottage’ was the attached, three story and single story annex on the north of the farmhouse. Mr Norris was formerly the shepherd. Mr Shaw is the white haired gent in the tennis pictures. I think Alice Woodward must have been my grandmother’s maid. There was a connecting door through to the farmhouse. My father and mother had a couple of rooms in the farmhouse.
One more thought on my father. I believe he was a member of an Auxiliary unit, to go underground in the event of an invasion.
Norman Allcorn - May 2018
Brown Loaf Farm
Coming down the hill is Brown Loaf Farm. These pig farmers collected edible waste from Brighton hotels and shops and boiled it in a ‘copper’ turning it into swill to be fed to the pigs. Roy Edwards was my father’s friend. He was a small hunch back who was interested in things mechanical. He had a small tractor made out of a car chassis with a second gear box too slow it down. He taught my father to drive. (Because my father drove during the war, he never passed a driving test.)

Lower Bevendean Farm
Then to Lower Bevendean. The cottage named ‘Alfriston’ was at the western end of the pair of cottages to the east of the farmyard. The Howes had two children but only one is redacted. Perhaps one had left by this time. No. 1 cottage was in the farm yard opposite the cow-stall and stable. Mr. Baldwin did not have far to go to work! Charlie was my playmate, as was Mary, who was my age; both her and her older sister Grace are redacted. Who the other two blacked out names were, I do not know because I thought Charlie was the youngest of this family.
‘The Cottage’ was the attached, three story and single story annex on the north of the farmhouse. Mr Norris was formerly the shepherd. Mr Shaw is the white haired gent in the tennis pictures. I think Alice Woodward must have been my grandmother’s maid. There was a connecting door through to the farmhouse. My father and mother had a couple of rooms in the farmhouse.
One more thought on my father. I believe he was a member of an Auxiliary unit, to go underground in the event of an invasion.
Norman Allcorn - May 2018
