THE COUNTY FARMS ESTATE IN POWYS


LOOKING BACK AND TO THE FUTURE


Nigel Baldwin


Nigel is the Senior Assistant Valuer at Powys County Council


In 2011, Powys County Council has been celebrating the Centenary of its County Farms Estate. The area of its estate at 4,654 Hectares, makes it the largest in Wales and the fifth largest estate in England and Wales. Powys is made up of the former counties of Breconshire, Radnorshire and Montgomeryshire, which each had smallholdings, but the major part of the estate, 79%, is located in the former Montgomeryshire district, centered on the Severn Valley.


On the 29th November 1907, the Reports of Special Committees and Inspector of Weights and Measures, (the Committee appointed under the Allotments Act 1890 and Smallholdings Act 1892), recommended that a “Smallholdings Allotments Act 1907 Committee” should be formed in Montgomeryshire, under the Chairmanship of Captain D.H. Mytton.


At a committee meeting held on the 13th January 1908, Mr. John Owen, the Assistant Commissioner from the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, was in attendance, and it was resolved: “To obtain information as to the extent of land in the County in the possession of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners and Beneficed Clergy, Universities and Colleges, Trustees of Charity Lands, or other Public Bodies or Corporations, and that an enquiry should be made from such owners as to whether they would be willing to let or sell land to the Council for the purposes of providing Smallholdings.”


This was the beginning of the Smallholdings Estate in Montgomeryshire. Land was eventually purchased under the Smallholdings Allotments Act 1908.


In 1909, 381 acres of land were purchased, and in 1910 a further 1,916 acres were acquired. These were mainly existing farms with land. It was in 1911 that the first purpose built dwelling for a smallholding was commissioned and built and this was the date chosen to celebrate the estate centenary.


The Land Agent acting for the County Council in 1910 was Mr. P. Wilson-Jones. By 1916, the Council had purchased more farms, with a total rent role of £3,498.11.10. Typical rents for this period ranged from 12/- per acre (60p) to £2 per acre.


24 THE TERRIER - Autumn 2011


At the end of the Great War, the Smallholdings (Amendments) Act of 1918, set out how land should be acquired for Smallholding purposes. This was the first of a string of legislation affect¬ing Smallholdings. Following the 1918 legislation, the Council started purchasing farms in earnest, and by July 1920, a further 5,840 acres of land had been purchased.


The County Land Agent responsible for the development of the Montgomeryshire Estate, after the war, was Mr. E. R. Puleston-Jones. The early years of establishing the Estate were a very busy time for the Land Agent, who had to cope with the purchase of land, and the development of the many new homesteads throughout Montgomeryshire. Whilst the County Council was able to utilise the existing houses and buildings on farms they purchased, many new farmhouses and buildings were built to serve holdings, of often only three to five acres of land. Mr. Puleston-Jones regularly worked till midnight to deal with the heavy workload of setting up the County Council Estate, letting farms, and selling of surplus land.


From these beginnings the estate flourished to where it is today with 160 tenancies, ranging from a house with a couple of acres to a 200 plus acre modern dairy farm. The majority of the holdings now rely on beef and sheep production and rents now average £85 per acre.


The main focus of the Centenary Celebration was two farm open days held on a Saturday in July. Invitations were issued to existing tenants, Council Members and the public, and


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