Chapter Seven
Heyshott farms

Coldharbour Farm

 
The above drawing of Coldharbour by Mr F W Collins of Bognor was published in the West Sussex Gazette and South of England Advertiser in October 1984. At the same time he made the drawing he wrote to Betty Murray asking for information about the property, The following information is based on her reply, plus extracts from other Heyshott History Society records.
 
There is considerable argument as to the origin of the name 'Coldharbour'. The name is a common one and Betty Murray said that there are about 300 instances of the name in England, some dating back at least to the 14th century. She considered that this disproves the argument of those who associate the name with Roman wayside inns as few of them are near any Roman way. The word 'harbour' derives from the Old English word 'here-beorg' meaning 'a shelter or lodging' and many Coldharbours are in rather isolated, and often 'cold', spots.
 
The earliest mention of our Coldharbour is in the deed in the Petworth House Archives dated 1718.
It records that Mrs Mary Cockquerell widow of George Cocquerell of Heyshott, who had inherited the lordship of the manor from his father in 1699, sold the property to John Colebrook of Vining in Ambersham.
It was described as the messuage, barn, gate room, garden and orchard called Coldharbour with 4 closes of land and a further 2 acres of land and furze to the west of the messuage adjoining the Common.
Commoning rights include the right of digging chalk on Heyshott Hill and laying it on the Common, to carry away at will turf from the Common and pasture of cattle on the unenclosed Common at will.
Also such right as sitting in the pew near the pulpit in Heyshott Church, as the inhabitants of the messuage have heretofore had.
 
In 1732 the property passed to John Shudd who had inherited Berrywood Farm in trust a year earlier.
It now consisted of 59 acres and remained tied to Berrywood until the 20th century. In 1827 the 3rd Earl of Egremont bought Berrywood and Coldharbour and his son George Wyndham inherited them ten years later.
 
At this time the Coldharbour buildings were described as 'a house in 3 tenements, barn, hovel (cart shed), yard and garden'.
The three tenements were tied for labourers working on Heyshott farms.
 
In the 1851 Census 4 families are shown with Coldharbour as their address:
James Poet, a farm labourer aged 44, Sarah his wife and 7 children
Richard Poet, a farm labourer aged 67, Elizabeth his wife, 3 children plus a lodger, George Hopkins, an 88 year old farm labourer
Lucy Robinson, a widow of 50, two children and a visiting farm labourer.
Frances Tiller, a widow aged 30, and 2 children
A total of 21 residents plus 1 visitor!
 
In 1931 John Hutchings, who was farming Manor Farm, Cocking, took over the lease of Coldharbour from Walter Lovejoy and he, and then his son, farmed the 81 acres until 1951 when it was let to Jack Robinson for grazing his horses. In 1954 the land was incorporated in the Manor Farm under Peter Dalglish.
 
From the time of the 1926 exchange of properties between the Leconfield and Cowdray estates, No 1 Coldharbour (the cottage nearest the road) ceased to be tied to a farm but the other two continued as such, No 2 being tied to Berrywood Farm and No 3 to Leggs Farm.
 
One well served the three households and was near No 3. the Tiller family lived for about two generations in No 1, the last of them being Charlotte Wrapson, nee Tiller.
 
After her, it was occupied by Mr and Mrs Stubbington and, when he died and she moved into sheltered accommodation, the three cottages were put up for sale as, with the smaller number of workers on the farms, there was no longer a need for so many tied cottages. There was then a proposal to turn the property into a Youth Hostel and this led to divided opinions in the village. Some were for the idea but others, who lived close by, objected on the grounds of the likelihood of 'teenage strangers on motor bikes causing a disturbance and noise'.
 
It was eventually put up for auction and bought by Yvonne Richards, who occupied it for about ten years on her own. The sketch of Coldharbour at the head of this section so delighted her that she bought the copyright.