Hill Barn Farm in North Lancing or "Mrs Barton's Farm"
08/01/07
HOME
BACK TO TIME IT WAS PAGE

 
 
 Hill Barn farm in the 1930's - click to enlarge
Hill Barn farm 1988 taken by John Walker as part of a GCSE project on the A27 by pass enquiry- click to enlarge  more details
 
 Mrs Sylvia Barton as featured in the Evening Argus in 1987 - click to enlarge more details
Hill Barn Farm in North Lancing or "Mrs Barton's Farm"

Rachel contacts us to ask:

Hi there, I wonder if you could help...

 "My partners grandmother recently passed away, having lived at what was Hill barn farm. I believe it was also called Barton farm valley, at the top of Lancing ring for more than 80 years. A Mrs Sylvia Barton who lived there with her partner until he sadly passed away.

 She was turfed out of her home after Lancing college refused to renew her lease on the farm over 10 years ago. Unfortunately the property has now been demolished as this was the proposed site for the A27 to run through." "We recently visited the site as my partner has very fond memories of his 'eccentric' old gran living on the farm. However it's a bit of a sorry site having been abandoned for such a long time only half knocked down, and as I assume she left in quite a hurry there were traces of her love of car boot sales as there were still the remains of old shoe's and bags!"  I shall get to the point! my partner unfortunately has no photographs of the old farm, and having spent hours trawling the Internet the only trace I can find is the GCSE clippings on your web site, with only a small picture of Sylvia Barton and her farm. I know there was a lot of coverage in the papers and on the local news at the time.

 I was wondering if you knew of anywhere I could locate any pictures? or any web links you know of? any help would be much appreciated..

 Kind regards  Rachael de courcy.
 
Above photo taken in 1987 was sent by Bob Brown on 14/01/07 .......... many thanks!
 
Dennis replies on 10/01/07
Hello Andy,
Would like to try and help Rachael in her quest if I can. Having been born and raised in The Street in 1942 (and the home is still in the family) that area of Lancing was my play area so to speak. I remember the Barton family very well and their riding stables. As a very young boy I remember Pat Barton riding one of his horses down to Milldene Stores and onward into the village--I always felt a bit intimidated as the horse was usually quite a spirited beast and Pat was always it appeared to me to be immaculately turned out in his riding garb.
Mrs Barton, Sylvia would frequently come down with the children in a pony and trap. Believe the daughters name was Jane but at this moment cannot remember the lads name--sorry!
The following may be of interest to Rachael-- In Phil Fry's book "LANCING & SOMPTING" ISBN 0-7509-0940-4 on page 124 a photo looking towards the college from the area of the home.
In George Shaw's book "LANCING A PICTORIAL HISTORY" ISBN 0-85033-455-1 illustrations 61 & 62.
Hope this is of some use to the young lady.
Rachael replies

Andy

 
Thank you so much for your email. That is such a clear picture of the farm and surrounding land!  Patrick was trying to explain to me how it would of originally looked, but it was so hard to make anything out the way it stands now. Please pass on our thanks to Dennis, we were so surprised to hear from anyone. A trip down to the library now to see if we can locate the books!
 Kind regards
 
Rachael
 
 
Can you help, do you have memories, photos etc. please send them along

 

 

 

Contact details  Andrew Brook       mail andy@northlancing.com    © Andrew Brook 2006

just arrived from another browser?     click here to go to main pages