Haymaking at Sutton.

Haymaking at Sutton.

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This is another photo from the William Bailey collection, with my grandfather George Hatch leaning on the pitchfork with three of his local farm labourers. This photo once again is around the late 1800 to early 1900's long before the Astor family took over this land to add to White Place Farm. The photo below will give you the location of the hayrick:

 

 

The reason this spot was chosen for hay and cornricks was that it is located above what was known flood level, plus the easy access from Sutton Road. After his death in 1915, My grandmother sold Oveys Farm and moved to Wisteria Cottage, and the Astor's took over that acreage except for Widbrook Cottage, which for the longest time the Astor's wanted to aquire. You will also note in the first photo that a haymaking and harvest tradition of having a stone jar of ale was always on hand for the workers. This tradition was still kept up to and during WW2.