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Photo of House from 1947 Sale Document Ellis Hill Farm, from a 1946 aerial photo
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The Home farm buildings fell into disrepair, and some could not be saved. However, Keith French, who knew the farm as a child, now owns it. 'Home Farm' is now known as 'Ellis Hill Farm'. Keith and Audrey have restored and built barns, and keep both rare breeds of farm animals, old agricultural vehicles, Marshall-Era tractors and commercial vehicles. Their Farm Shop and Tea Room is worth a visit as well as being a welcome stop on a walk through the Coombes. Watch out for regular Farmers' Markets and the Christmas Market - access by car is from Mole Road, via Gravel-pit Hill Lane. Photographs of Ellis Hill Farm taken in 1994
The farm has been home to rare breeds of cattle, but the mainstay is pigs, as shown here (The pork products are sold under the brand 'WYSIPIG'). The first three are 'Berkshires', of which only around 300 breeding sows remained a few years ago.
These are Tamworths:
This is a Saddleback:
A Marshall Stationary Steam Engine has been restored to working order, and is usually 'in steam' on Boxing Day and during the regular Farmers' Markets, sometimes driving the threshing machine seen on the right. The miniature traction engine may also be seen. The wooden van was once used by road-mending gangs. The second Stationary Steam Engine is still under restoration. Behind it is a Showman's caravan.
The 'Marshall Era' (not to be confused with the 19th-Century manufacturer of farm machinery) covered the late 1940's when Agricultural machinery was provided under the 'Marshall Plan'. At this time, a company known as 'Minneapolis Moline' assembled tractors at Winnersh, at least one example of which is at Ellis Hill.
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