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Old Farm Inn Bournville Bournbrook Farm Froggart's Farm

Vivienne14

Vivienne14

Kentish Brummie Moderator
Staff member
Can we try and locate exactly whereabouts in Bournville this pub was? Given that pubs weren't allowed on Cadbury land, I'm surprised to find a pub located in Bournville. But these postcard images clearly state a Bournville address.

The name suggests it was a former farm. A very enterprising farmer if he saw a niche in the Bournville market ! Viv.

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Not sure as to the reasons why an Inn was allowed, but it was originally Called Bournbrook Farm or /Froggart's Farm , as Mrs Sarah Froggart & her stepson William were tenants in the late 1800s. Mrs Froggart was apparently a herbalist, and it is said that in the very early days of the factory, she was consulted when workers injured themselves at work. Apparently, after Sarah died in 1899, the farm was "remodelled" by W. Alexander Harvey, the Cadbury's architect., and then became Ye Olde Farm Inn. Between the wars, local social groups used the outbuildings. Extensions were built to the farm after WW2, and it was used as a conference centre by Cadbury's for a number of years. My induction to the firm was carried out there, and i attended a number of other courses there also. The building ceased to be a Cadbury run operation I think around 1980 or just after, but am not sure. The building is now run privately, being leased from the Bournville Village Trust.
Pictures of the farm kitchen. early 1900s and of outbuildings in 1950s below
Other than personal memories, information from "Bournville Then & Now" by Margaret A Broomfield


kitchen of old farm inn early 1900sA.jpg outbuildings Froggarts farm 1950sA.jpg
 
It takes a bit of imagination to see that 'Ye Olde Farm' is now Old Farm Hotel - according to Streetview.Viv.

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Some more history, in particular, of the occupants of the Farm. (Source: All taken from newspaper announcements) Various descriptions of the location of the farm are quoted - are they the same farm ?
1858 Mr W R Law at Bournbrook Farm
1858 Mr W R Lane at Bournbrook Farm
1866 Mr John Meek/Meake was at Bournbrook Farm. In 1868 he passed away. (In 1900, his wife, Mrs Esther Meeke, formerly of Bournbrook Hall Farm, Kings Norton passed away)
1868 John Lane gives his address as Bournbrook Farm, Bristol Road
1874 Robert Lane deceased and auction advertised at the farm (see below attachment)
1875 John Hall passed away aged 80 years
1875 sale at Bournbrook Farm on Bristol Road opposite Kirby's Pools
1881 William F Froggart passed away in 1881, aged 60 years
1888 George Davis was a milkman at Bournbrook Hall Farm - same Farm?
1889 Mrs Sarah Frogga(tt) at Bournbrook Farm Stirchley Street
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Found Bournbrook Farm on a map from around 1882. As it is next to Bournbrook Hall I wonder if Bournbrook Hall Farm refers to the lands attached to the Hall and Bournbrook Farm is adjacent?
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And according to the late Bill Dargue:

On the corner of Bournville Lane and Linden Road stands the Old Farm Hotel. Formerly Bournbrook Hall Farm, it was part of the Bournbrook Hall estate until the Cadburys bought the land some time after 1890. By that time the farmhouse had become a cider house, The Old Farm Inn. The Cadburys were Quakers who would not tolerate alcohol on their property, so the inn was closed. However, it is reputed that they did take on the landlady to work as a tea lady in the dining room of the new factory.
 
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