Staunton Ornamental Farm
The Ornamental Farm is the biggest visitor attraction at Staunton Country Park. It is an extremely valuable and quite rare survivor of the first farms developed after the Agricultural Revolution in the 1760s-80s. The main thrust of the changes that occurred in farming during this period was the enclosure and ownership of much bigger areas of land. This meant that only wealthier citizens could afford to own them, and consequently the tenant farmer came into existence, managing the now scientifically built and organised farms of landowners throughout the country.
The Ornamental Farm is one of these rebuilt tenant farms. William Garrett, who owned the Leigh Estate before George Staunton, added to the modest property that he bought by buying up various farms and parcels of land in the immediate vicinity. It is laid out in the way that had, by the turn of the 18th/19th Century, become the standard approved style. It was arranged around a courtyard in a ‘u’ shape, with the tenant farmer’s attractive farmhouse backing on to it so that he could inspect his farm from the rear of his home.
When the restoration work began, the farm was remarkably complete, and included a dairy with cold room, cheese making facilities, packing, and a storage loft above, which had been converted to a flat. It was however missing one of its vital features, the stable wing on the north side of the courtyard. Both Staunton Country Park and the Heritage Lottery Fund were keen to see this wing replaced to complete the picture of the farm as it would have been.
The majority of the work to the existing buildings was to conserve their character, with some minor alterations to provide accommodation for staff to help with the efficient running of what is, after all, a working farm. The new wing houses an education centre that allows the Park to offer more extensive services to local groups and schools, as well as conference facilities. The link building between the existing dairy and granary enables the present tearooms, based in the farmhouse and dairy, to extend to allow greater indoor seating for visitors, and also to cater for users of the education centre.
The Farm was awarded the RIBA Southern Region Conservation Award Commendation in 2006
