Hillside Farm, Brook End

This is a farm named after its farmhouse. Going back in time, it was usually denominated as St John’s College Farm, after the owners St John’s College, Cambridge.

The original farmhouse is today known as The Old Farmhouse in Brook End, which is medieval in origin with a Tudor cross-bay facing the road. By the late 1800s the accommodation it provided was considered inadequate and the College decided to build a new house for its tenants to occupy. Fortunately, it was decided to leave the old farmhouse standing and a completely new site was chosen, on top of a rise on the other side of Cheyney Water.

The new house was built over 1906-7 and cost a total of £934. The first tenant to occupy it was Oswald Duke, who had taken the farm tenancy from Michaelmas 1906, so he and his wife probably had a year or two in the old house, before moving into the new one. He was followed by Frank Brockett, who took the farm tenancy from Michaelmas 1914, when Oswald Duke left to take a farm at Babraham on the other side of the county. Frank Brockett was to remain until 1955, when ill-health forced him to retire.

The College decided the time had come to sell their Steeple Morden estate and in 1956 it was bought by George Briers for his own occupation. Later his son Ben followed him in running the farm and in turn his son Charles, took over and still farms today.

Anyway, back to the name. From quite early on it appears the new house was given its own name of Hillside, rather than anything derived from St John’s College. After the farm was sold by the College, Hillside became Hillside Farm. At times it has also been known as Brook End Farm, which has also been applied occasionally in the past to 9 Brook End, Glendale.