Gipping Farm
Gipping Farm is no longer a working farm, even the farmhouse is no longer a family home. However during the 20th century it was home to the Carter family. Jack Carter was born there and in 1936 he and his new bride Ena (nee Harrison) moved in. They stayed for 50 years.
This photo shows Jack and Ena on a bridge over the moat behind the house.
This section from the 1839/40 Tithe Map shows the area of what is now known as Gipping Farm. The surrounding fields and stackyard are owned and occupied by John Boby, The remains of a moat can be seen on 3 sides of the house.
We don’t know when Gipping Farm acquired its name, but before the 20th century it was Pooley’s Farm. As there was another farm to the south of the Green called Poole’s Farm this might have been confusing.
Possibly the then occupier in 1820 was Mr Edward Pooley. It was sold in 1821 and advertised as a small Stowupland farm of 43 acres ( with and adjoining field of 3 acres) previously occupied by Edward Pooley but now William Smith.
On an 1824/5 Bryants map Ena Carter found that Gipping Farm was marked as South***s, she assumed this to be ‘Southgates’. The map had been published 1st March 1826 to show Ecclesiastical divisions, and was 6’5″ wide. Ena had come across it in the possession of Misses K &H Jewers (Uplands Farm, Saxham Street).
By 1912 Thomas Carter (Jack’s father) was named as the farmer here. At some time he named it Studd Farm when he tried his hand at horse breeding.
Mid 20th century, Jack and Ena with Gipping Farm House in the background. Ena did not like having her photo taken.
I am grateful to Ena’s daughter for sharing this photo of her Mum in her kitchen. When Ena and Jack moved into the farm in the 1930s they had no running water, gas or electricity. She did have a hand pump over the kitchen sink, but the water came from the moat and was strained through a stocking. The plug hole in the sink drained into a bucket which had to be carried outside,
Ena died in 1986 and Jack left the farm before his death in 2005. By the start of the 21st century the farm had a new owner, and by 2006 an application was made for a change of use of the farmhouse. from residential to commercial use. The parish councillors wanted to rule that it should be retained as a residential dwelling but procedural complications allowed the MSDC to rule in favour of a change of use.
The Farmhouse became the offices for a freight forwarding company.
