Market Gardening: Loss of an old way of life

Market Gardening was the main occupation in the village up to the late 1950s/early 60s but declined rapidly in the 1970s and ‘80s. Most of the former orchards were turned into new developments.

Agriculture (mainly dairy and grazing) was a major part of Mickleton life until the agricultural depression of the 1890s. In 1890 Market gardening was begun by Mr. Powell and Mr. John Taylor -pioneers in tomato growing. Mr Taylor was so successful he was able to move from his cottage and buy Tudor House for £125. Market gardening was set to transform the economy of the village.

Webb’s Market gardening, one of the main employers in the village

In 1896 Joseph Webb, aged 27, decided to start growing tomatoes with a small cottage and 2 acres off Canada Lane. He regularly increased his acres and added glasshouses and by 1914 was growing up to 40 acres of tomatoes each year. The growing of outdoor tomatoes established Mickleton in the horticulture business. He was regarded as a pioneer in the development of Market gardening and died in 1949. The business was continued until 1900 by his great grandson J. Robbins

A manual job in the early 20^th century

Until c1910 all the turf to be broken up was dug by hand. After c1912 ploughing with horses became acceptable- originally with steam ploughs. Water was pumped from pools and wells and carried by hand in buckets until piped water became available in 1926. Transport was a 4 wheeled horse dray taking 1 ton at a time.

Labourers’ wages were 12/- a week, higher than the 10/- paid on a farm. Women were also employed at 7/6d a week. Schoolchildren earned money after school by tying up tomatoes and were paid 3d or 4d according to age.

Changing crops in the 1^st World War

In the 1^st World War onions were of national importance and replaced tomatoes with 40+ acres grown annually. About 60 German prisoners were employed in Mickleton towards the end of the war to fill the labour gap.

Post-World War 1

By 1925 cauliflowers were the main crop and c. 150 acres a year were grown until the late 1950s. Glasshouses were erected (c.15 acres by World War II) primarily for growing early cauliflower plants and lettuce. Between 1908-39 most of the produce was put on rail at Long Marston- up to 73 trucks despatched each day.

About 250 acres of fruit trees were planted after the 1^st World War but they did not do well in low lying parts as the frost caught them and many had been pulled up by the late 1950s. Upper Clopton farm orchard was one of the last to survive and there were 45 acres of plums, cherries, apples, and pears in the late 50s.

Doreen Ellis grew up on Greyrick Farm in the 1950s and describes her father’s market gardening business in an interview on the archive site. His land and greenhouses were where Cotswold edge is now. In the school holidays she used to accompany her father to Smithfield market in Birmingham leaving at 4am

Market Gardening was the main occupation in the village up to the late 1950s/early 60s but declined rapidly in the 1970s and ‘80s. Most of the former orchards were turned into new developments. None of the glasshouses remain.