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• The datestone shows Bakehouse Farm was originally built in 1574 making it one of the oldest properties in Potterspury.It was originally built as a timber framed Elizabethan property

• When built, only about 3,200,000 people lived in England and nine out of ten of these lived in villages

• Little is known about the first one hundred years but in 1680, Thomas Addington paid hearth tax on the property

• Thomas’s son William Addington was born in 1686 and was baptised in the parish church

• William took over responsibility for the property and undertook major renovations in 1707.The date stone shows this date and his initials

• At this time, Bakehouse Farm was encased in stone like several other timber framed villages properties.The aim was to extend the life of the buildings.Stone was probably taken from Duffers Hill (between Potterspury and Yardley Gobion)

• It is probable that the large inglenook fireplace was modernised or added at this time as well as the oven situated behind it.The heavy oak lintel shows candle marks made to ward off evil spirits and stop them coming down the chimney

• There is still evidence of recesses where wooden mullion windows were installed

• By 1727, Bakehouse Farm was owned by the 2nd Duke of Grafton and listed in his survey of that year.It was leased to Thomas Scrivener (William Addington’s nephew).Thomas and his wife Jane (Smith) also leased a property in the High Street and land around the village paying £50.15/- in rent

• The Grafton Rent books show the Farm was a successful enterprise and grew to include several properties and over 200 acres

• Thomas died in 1757 and the farm was worked by his wife.It was not uncommon for women to take over the running of a farm until sons were of age

• In 1763, Thomas and Jane’s son Richard took over the farm.He married and had at least two sons, John born in 1778 and Thomas born in 1788

• In 1792, Richard died and for the next 10 years, his wife ran the farm and looked after her growing family

• In 1802, son John took over the lease for Bakehouse Farm in accordance to his fathers wishes.He was now aged 24

• For the next few years, Bakehouse Farm continued to be a very successful business

• By 1816, difficulties began to appear.Rent had increased dramatically as the Duke of Grafton extended his Estate and taxes increased because of the Napoleonic Wars

• John’s account fell into arrears and in 1822 the Duke gave him notice to quit.However, the Duke seemed to have difficulty in reletting the Farm at a reasonable profit so agreed John and his family could remain there, farming only a small portion of the land for a reduced rent

• John paid his last rent on Bakehouse Farm in 1832 and became a butcher elsewhere in the village

• The lease for the reduced farm passed to John’s nephew Richard Scrivener

• Richard farmed with his elderly father Thomas, his sister Margaret and brother Joseph, but times remained hard

• The 1841 census shows Thomas, Margaret and Joseph living at Bakehouse Farm with Richard’s children Caroline, Jane, Thomas and James.Richard lived elsewhere in the village with his wife.It would appear that Joseph and Richard were close partners in the business and both were listed as Farmers, Bakers and Millers

• The 1851 and 1861 census shows the same family working on the farm and living at Bakehouse Farm.The address is given as Turnpike Road

• Joseph Scrivener died in April 1864 and his brother Richard nine months later

• Richard’s son Thomas inherited the lease.Thomas was married to Elizabeth Henson and the 1871 census shows them living at Bakehouse Farm now addressed as in London Road with various nieces and nephews of Elizabeth.Thomas employed two men to help him farm

• In 1875 the Duke of Grafton owned 95% of land in Potterspury, including Bakehouse Farm, and Thomas continued to pay his rent regularly until 1882 when he died

• Thomas left an Estate worth £700 to his wife who at some point moved out of the property

• The 1891 census shows Job and George Scrivener holding the lease to the farm, now addressed as on the Towcester Road

• It is possible that it is about this time the Farm was sold by the Doke of Grafton to Lord Penrhyn at Wicken

• After about 230 years as home to the Scriveners, Bakehouse Farm passed to the Stewart family

• The 1901 census shows Charles Stewart, a Farmer and Carrier living with his wife Mary (Ratcliffe) and remaining sons Charles, James and John.6-year-old grandson Charlie Foster was also living with them

• The Stewarts made the Northampton Mercury in 1905 when they were charged with cruelty to horses

• On 22nd September, Charles Stewart snr bought Bakehouse Farm from Lord Penrhyn

• In 1914, Charles’s son Charles Stewart jnr joined the 5th Battalion of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.He came home in 1916 to marry Elizabeth Tarry.Charles Stewart jnr was killed in action on 8th October 1918 and is buried in Aisne, France

• In 1920, the main Towcester Road was resurfaced in tarmac

• The Stewarts continued to live at Bakehouse Farm and seemed to have a number of brushes with the law.There were a number of summonses for keeping dogs without licences and in 1933, John Stewart was injured when a lorry crashed into his cart crushing his legs.

• Charles Stewart snr died in 1934 and the Farm passed to his son John and grandson Charlie Foster

• In the 1930’s and 40’s, several signs adorned the end walls of Bakehouse Farm. There is a photograph of a Jaguar sign on the southern end of the property and renovations to the garden at the northern end have revealed a “Hudson’s soap” advertisement

• The 1939 survey show John Stewart and Charlie Foster both farmers at Bakehouse Farm

• In 1944, a legal assent and other financial arrangements were made between John and Charlie and this may have been when the Farm was split into two properties

• John Stewart died in 1958 and his portion of the building (now Bakehouse Cottage) passed to the Oakessen family

• Charlie Foster continued living in the middle section until his death in 1978

• Travelling Fair and Circus equipment owned by the Strudwick family overwintered at the back of Bakehouse Farm in the 1950’s and 60’s

• John Butterworth bought the property in 1978 and was probably responsible for the renovation and conversion into three houses as you see today

• Butterworth was connected to Reindeer Antiques and there is a plaque on the southern end of property probably showing his initials