Farming, with a little help from your friends

FROM the late GEORGE GOULD'S diary:
March 29th, 1955: After about 33 years tenure of Dunkirk Farm, Mr Frank Arnold has left the district for retirement. This little holding comprised some 17 acres, made up by two arable fields and the small pasture along by the river.
Tucked away as it was, just far enough away from the village, Dunkirk Farm offered the visitor a welcome with either Mr or Mrs Arnold ready for a chat.
The very nature of this small holding was typical of many throughout Essex. The one outstanding feature was its yearly flock of turkeys which they reared and what a pretty sight they made in their old-world setting.
The holding was, then, split up into small lots. Two fields were cultivated. At the bottom of these a hedge ran parallel with the

View from Dunkirk farm
The fields of Dunkirk Farm ran
down to the river
river. Between this and the river was a grass enclosure. At a point just beyond the barn which stood opposite the cottage was another grass paddock. It was in this that the turkeys and chickens were housed. Just round the bend under the lee-way of the high bank one could always find the potato clamp (from which a good many of the villagers obtained their supply).
One horse was kept and when work demanded two the system of exchange was used. A visit to his old friend Val Adams (who farmed Sandhills Farm) would produce terms whereby his horse was borrowed and coupled with his own so that the work could proceed.
And so it went on, not only horses, but implements and sometimes labour was included. Mr Arnold would sometimes be at work at Sandhills or Mr Adams at
A bread oven
Bread ovens were a feature of
old farms and cottages 		Dunkirk if a labour force of two was required on either farm, all worked out on the exchange basis. It was customary for these two to meet at Sandhills, ably assisted by Charles Hayward, a nearby farm bailiff who at times assisted in the various exchanges for a check on man hours and horse hours, etc. Not much cash was involved.
This little holding has now lost everything it ever had. Its charm has gone forever for it now stands open to the four winds, its hedges, open ditches, the little paddock with its lean-to cart shed, barn and stable have all gone and its entire acreage is just one huge field.
It is pleasing to note that the old cottage is to be reconditioned and just one outbuilding retained as a garage.
An interesting feature has come to light during alterations. At one time the house was divided into two cottages and in the centre at the back was a bread oven (so widely used in those days) with two doors, opening into the living rooms of both cottages. The whole oven was divided down its centre and the long kitchen at the back as we knew it was divided by a partition. Therefore the oven made in effect two separate ovens under the one brick arch.
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