Monument MPM1841 - Site of Lower Drayton Farm

Site of the main house and outbuildings to Lower Drayton Farm, in existence since at least the late-1600s/early-1700s until c1872. The house was demolished in c1872 when Drayton Manor was built on the site.

Lower Drayton Farm was located directly to the south of Drayton Farm. Drayton was originally one of three medieval manors in the parish Farlington. La Fabvolliere's map of c1665 marks 'Drayton Farm' belonging to a 'Mr Garth' [1].

Lower Drayton farm would have been in existence since at least the late-1600s/early-1700s. It is possible that it would have originally been called Beaumont/Beamonds* Farm. The Knight family are named as farmers at Drayton during the 18th and early-19th century. The 1826 Land Tax Assessment for Farlington records James Knight at 'Lower Drayton' . [2]

The farm was sold following Knight's death the same year, and an advertisement for the auction of the farm in the Hampshire Telegraph includes the following description:

'The Cottage has two comfortable sitting rooms, and convenient offices, with a dairy and good cellars, three best bed-rooms, and china closet, besides servants rooms. - The House is placed in an ornamental lawn and shrubbery, in which is a greenhouse, and adjoins a most excellent walled kitchen garden, all of which is stocked with Fruit Trees of the best kind, and embellished with a profusion of rare and valuable flowers….As a whole - it is a Residence adapted for a genteel and respectable family. - The Farm consists of a farm-yard, capacious barn, sheds, stables, cow-sheds, pigs styes, and every convenience which can be desired…There are two recently built Labourers Cottages adjoining the Farm Yard. Also Two Cottages, adjoining the High Road, opposite New Inn.' [3]

The 1838 Farlington tithe map and award records the farm as the homestead and cottage of John Powell [4]. The house and grounds are marked as 'Lower Drayton' on the 1870 Ordnance Survey map [5].

The house described in the advertisement of 1826 may have replaced an earlier building, as a report into the property of George Knight in 1721 noted 'the house and other buildings not worth repairing'. The house belonging to the farm in 1826 was replaced by a new residence in 1872, known as Drayton Manor, which was said to have been built upon the site of the 'old Manor House' [2] (see MPM952).

*Beamonds was one of three manors in the parish of Farlington during the 16th century, along with the manors of Farlington and Drayton. It's exact location is not known.

<1> De la Fabvolliere, c1665, Portsea Island etc. (Map). SPM462.

<2> Davey, C R, 1989, Drayton and Beamonds in Farlington Parish (Bibliographic reference). SPM461.

<3> Hampshire Telegraph, 1826, Hampshire Telegraph (Bibliographic reference). SPM467.

<4> 1838, Farlington Tithe Map & Award (Cartographic materials). SPM464.

<5> Ordnance Survey, 1870, Ordnance Survey Map 1870 (Map). SPM282.