Now and in Days Gone By
Some of the premises of Upton Court Farm survive and some agricultural activity continues. They are at the western end on the North side of Upton Court Road. In it's heyday the farm covered what is now the municipal Upton Court Park and Playing Fields stretching southwards to Datchet Road and eastwards to the brook that runs at the side of the Castle View Estate of houses. There were also farm fields to the north of Upton Court Road where there are now houses — Quaves Road where Quaves Field was. And Bath Road Field may have stretched across what are now Lascelles Playing Fields and Slough Grammar School to the A4.

Fred Cornish
Fred Cornish, the last large-scale farmer was a well-known neighbourhood figure, riding his old grey mare or driving his ancient open-top Austin. Before WW II he sold north-side land for housing developments and Upton Court Park to the municipality (although his cows continued to graze there well after The War).

Going Back pre-WW I
The 1881 and 1901 Censuses record that in the former year the farmer was Ben Slocock, living with his sons Ben Junior and Harold, daughter Louise and his second wife. Ben senior died in 1888 and the Slococks continued at the farm until 1910 shortly after the death of Ben junior.

The Diaries
For the rest of this story we draw on information in diaries from 1884 to 1910 in the possession of The Central Slough Library.

Produce
It was a mixed farm. Bullocks and pigs were reared for slaughter. Many sheep were there to be sheared for wool and cows for milk. Chicken were bred and eggs sold. Hens were also set on pheasant eggs. Frequently there were shooting parties. A memo at the end of the 1899 diary records that Mr John Merrick and Harry Buckland with Ben bagged 15 brace pheasant, 1 hare, 3 partridges and 3 rabbits, with a list attached of the people to whom these were sent. Among the regular crops were potatoes, swede, mangold, lettuce, wheat, barley, rye and soft fruit.

Cattle, Sheep, Pigs and Poultry
Numbers are recorded occasionally. For example, in 1907 there were 201 cattle, probably mostly cows but also heifers and
bullocks for slaughter and also at least one bull.

There were around 200 sheep for most of the time, but no mention of the number of pigs although we see that 20 were bought on one occasion in 1903. Commercial sales of eggs indicate there were a considerable number of chickens.

The farm had several working horses, but horses were often hired with equipment for special purposes.

The Vicious and Artful Bull
There was occasional excitement: on 1st July 1884 we read: "Managed to tie up 'Oxford Style', the bull. His rope broke that was on the ring to his nose and being very vicious and artful we could not get to hook his nose so he has been loose in the box for four days."

Peaceful Grazing
Cattle grazed not only in the farm meadows but also on Dorney Common. Can we, experiencing today's traffic and its congestion, imagine herds of cattle being driven from Upton through Chalvey and Cippenham to Dorney? They also grazed at Stoke Poges. The farm's sheep were often put on to Salt Hill Playing Fields, saving the Council the cost of mowing. It's interesting to see the title "Salt Hill Playing Fields" used back in 1905. The sheep were sheared; there is no record of them being sold as mutton. The farm's horses were also used there for rolling.

On Shilling a Week for the Milk Cart to Cross Windsor Bridge
In 1884 there was an agreement for the daily milk cart to cross over the turnpike Windsor Bridge for 1/- per week. In 1889 the daily milk delivery was 60 quarts at 2 ½d per quart. Chicken eggs were sold in March and April 1884 at 1/- and 2/- "B.O.D" (per dozen?) Sometimes the hens were put on duck eggs and sometimes guinea fowl eggs and sometimes pheasant eggs.

Crops through the Seasons
In the first quarter of the year seed was bought and crops planted: wheat, rye, peas. In 1884 as early as 7th February 1884 potatoes were planted. Also grain and hay were sold.

In the second quarter there was plenty of mangold drilling (for cattle feed) and other produce was sold: And there was haymaking, often interrupted by bad weather. On 7th, 8th and 9th May 1903 potatoes were planted – a more seasonal time.

The Summer months saw strawberries picked: 155 lbs on 2nd and 3rd July 1884. In August 1884 winter oats were threshed and wheat ricks built.

In the fourth quarter more crops were sold and preparations made for the next year's farming.

Other Work
Work was done for other farmers, for example on 6th March 1905 "Commenced ploughing Mr Blackman's ground." This was repeated on 1st February 1906, with two men and three horses for ¾ day at 12/6d. Caring for and grazing the riding horses of the gentry and providing meadows over which they could exercise their horses also earned income. Upton court Farm also undertook ploughing and haymaking for other landowners. In turn, services were frequently hired from other farmers.

Sunday School Outings
A Miss Travers frequently rode her horse over the fields in 1899. "A quiet horse" and cart were often provided for School and Sunday School outings, often to Burnham Beeches. In April 1889 the cricket ground was rolled. On 24th July 1902 a Children's Coronation Fete was held in the meadows.

Machinery and Equipment and Labour
Quite early on there is mention of machinery. On 11th September 1888 "the threshing machine here". The next day "finished threshing 18 acres." On 17th August 1889 we have "Mr Richardson's steam plough in Datchet Field."

The Workers
Such a large farm with a rather small farm household means there must have been a substantial labour force. But the diaries do not have many references to workers. Perhaps there was a separate wages book. The references that there are suggest that workers were employed on a daily basis.

The sparse records do not indicate any upward (or downward) trend in wages during the quarter century of the diaries. Nationally, the average farm worker's pay of 14/10d per week at the beginning of the twentieth century is almost spot-on the 3/- a day recorded above, if and only if the worker was employed for five days a week. But 6d per hour (in 1889) means a 12-hour day for that 3/-.

Reference: Upton Court Diaries kept by Slough Library
© STEAM 2005