Court Farm, Pembrey facts for kids

The barn at Court Farm, Pembrey

Court Farm in Pembrey, Carmarthenshire, Wales, is a very old and once grand manor house. Today, it is mostly a ruin, but its main structure is still strong and could be repaired. It has three parts: the farmhouse, which is a two-story house; a barn next to it; and a cowshed built later.

Building Court Farm's History

The main farmhouse you see today was built in the 1500s. It might have an even older part from the medieval period. It was possibly a tower house, which was more common in Pembrokeshire. The farm was built using local sandstone from a quarry on its own land.

Court Farm has special stone supports called corbels on its south walls. These are often seen on old buildings in Carmarthenshire. Because of its size and location, Court Farm, along with St. Illtud's Church, Pembrey, was used as a landmark on old shipping maps. This helped ship captains navigate the tricky Burry Inlet.

The house originally had seven square chimneys. Two of these were unusual because they were set at an angle in the east wall. It seems every room had a fireplace. However, in 1672, a tax record only listed two fireplaces. This was probably to avoid paying the "hearth tax." Also, many early windows were blocked up to avoid paying the "window tax." One room kept its special Jacobean panelling until the farm was left empty around 1948.

The large barn at Court Farm looks a bit like a military building. It has a special wall on top that looks like a castle wall. We don't know if the barn was used for defense, but it might have been part of a larger protective wall. The Pembrey area was a "frontier land" in medieval times, between the Norman-controlled areas and the Welsh kingdom.

The Le Boteler Family's Time

The Le Boteler family was likely the first to own a manor house where Court Farm now stands.

In 1128, Maurice de Londres gave the Manor of Pembrey to Sir John Butler. Maurice de Londres was the son of William de Londres, a knight who served a Norman lord named Robert Fitzhamon. Fitzhamon invaded Wales around 1091 and built Cardiff Castle. William de Londres helped protect his castle.

William's butler, Arnold, bravely defended Ogmore Castle from an attack. As a reward, he was given the castle and manor of Dunraven. To show his loyalty, Arnold called himself Arnold le Boteler, which means "the butler" in Norman. Later, the family name became Butler.

Maurice de Londres inherited the lordship of Ogmore. In 1128, he also became Lord of Kidwelly and gave the Manor of Pembrey to Sir John Butler, Arnold's son. The Butler family owned Court Farm for seven generations, with many of them named John Butler. The family line ended when Arnold Butler died without children. His sister, Ann Butler, then inherited the estates.

The Manor of Pembrey was held under a military agreement. This meant that during wartime, each Butler owner had to provide five archers to help the Lord of Kidwelly. They also had to send one knight to a special court held every month. Each Butler heir also had to pay money, help with ploughing for a day, and help with hay for a day.

One of the woods on Court Farm's land was called Coed Marchog, which means "Knight's Wood" in English. The Butler family's coat of arms can be seen in Pembrey Church. It shows three covered cups.

The Butlers also controlled a large area of flatlands called Pembrey Burrows and much of Pinged Marsh, which is now part of Pembrey Country Park. They even had rights to all shipwrecks found on the Cefn Sidan sands.

The original main building of the Manor of Pembrey was probably a mound castle called 'the Twmpath'. It was later moved to the current site of Court Farm.

The Vaughan Family's Time

Ann Butler, the last of the Pembrey Butlers, married Sir Richard Vaughan. This brought Court Farm into the Vaughan family. The Vaughans believed they were related to an old Welsh king. Their coat of arms is unusual: three boys' heads with snakes around their necks. This comes from a family story about a snake frightening a pregnant mother.

Sir Richard Vaughan was knighted in 1513. His son, Sir Walter Vaughan, inherited the estates. Sir Walter moved to Pembrey, and Court Farm was built for him around 1530 as a wedding gift from his father. The main L-shaped part of the current building was built by the Vaughans. Sir Walter was a Member of Parliament for Carmarthenshire.

Later, Sir George Vaughan, a member of the family, strongly supported King Charles I during the English Civil War. Because of this, he was put in prison and had to pay a huge fine. This forced him to sell some of the family's estates.

Sir George died without children. The remaining estates, including Pembrey, went to his younger brother, Frederick Vaughan, who was blind. The male line of the Vaughans of Pembrey ended when Frederick's only son died as a baby.

After Sir Walter Vaughan's death, his wife Alice married William Ball, a lawyer. They lived at Court Farm for a time. Many famous painters like Van Dyke and Reynolds are said to have visited Court Farm and painted the Vaughan family. Some of these portraits are now in Carmarthen museum.

The Ashburnham Family's Time

Bridget Vaughan married John Ashburnham, 1st Earl of Ashburnham, in 1677. They lived at their family home in Sussex and only visited their other estates sometimes. The Ashburnham family also supported the King and faced difficulties during the Civil War.

Lord John Ashburnham visited Court Farm in 1687 and wrote in his diary that it was "an old stone house, large enough and kept in pretty good repaire."

In 1697, a "window tax" was introduced. To pay less tax, the Ashburnham family had many of Court Farm's windows blocked up. Even though the tax was removed in 1851, some windows remain blocked today.

The Ashburnham family owned Court Farm for many years. In 1813, George Ashburnham took legal steps to gain full ownership of the Pembrey Estate so he could use it as collateral for a loan.

The Thomas Family's Connection

The Thomas family were tenants at Court Farm for a long time, from 1738 to 1902. Many of their family events are recorded in the church registers.

David Thomas, a skilled but untrained bone setter, was born at Court Farm when the house was divided into two. His family had many different jobs, including farmers, butchers, shopkeepers, and shipowners. They owned ships that sailed from Pembrey's Old Harbour.

In 1831, a surveyor named Mr. Edward Driver valued the Pembrey Estate. At that time, Court Farm included 194 acres of land. John Thomas was the tenant, paying a yearly rent. He lived in part of the house, while another person, Mr. T.E. Biederman, lived in the other part.

Mr. Driver described the house as an old, stone-built residence. He noted that parts of it were used by the estate agent and Mr. Biederman, while other parts were being repaired. He also mentioned the barn, cowshed, and other buildings on the property.

The original roof of Court Farm was very tall and fancy. However, during changes in the 1800s, part of the roof was lowered, and its carved details were lost. The original stone tiles were replaced with slates.

An 1878 map shows the L-shaped structure of Court Farm, with two wings forming a courtyard. The barn was nearby. The map also showed a large garden and Court Wood, which the Vaughans were said to have planted.

Industrial Activities Around Court Farm

During the Ashburnham family's ownership, they found coal on the Pembrey Estate. They opened mines in nearby woods. The coal was managed from an office at Court Farm and carried by packhorses to the River Gwendraeth estuary, then shipped to England and Ireland.

The Ashburnham family even built a canal to transport coal more easily from the Pembrey mines to the sea. The canal was about two miles long and had no locks because the land was flat. However, by 1818, the coal mine was empty, and the canal was no longer needed.

Sale of the Ashburnham Estate

The Ashburnham family had controlled much of Pembrey for 245 years, helping it become an industrial center. However, due to increasing debt, the Pembrey estate was sold in 1922.

The Thomas family continued to rent Court Farm until around 1902. After that, the Bonnell family became tenants, and the house became a single home again. The Bonnell family farmed Court Farm until the Ashburnham Estate was sold in 1922.

Court Farm was sold at an auction in 1929 to Mr James Butler. The Sidney Thomas family then rented it. Later, Mr Charles Harding bought the Manor. Mr Harding tried to develop the quarries on Court Farm land into a brickworks, but the project failed.

The Bonnell Family's Ownership

In 1942, Mr Harding sold Court Farm to William Bonnell (junior). The Thomas family continued to rent it until about 1948, after which Court Farm was left empty. It was used for storage for many years.

In the 1970s, thieves stole the lead flashing from the roof twice. After the second theft, the owner decided not to replace it, and the house began to fall apart. Experts visited the farm to see if it could get a grant for repairs, but they said it was beyond repair.

Owen Bonnell inherited Court Farm in 1976, and it then passed to his nephew, John Bonnell Davies, who is the current owner.

Community Interest in Court Farm

People in the community have long been interested in saving Court Farm. In 1980, the local council refused permission to demolish the building. They said it was a special historic building that could be repaired and used again.

A committee was formed to save Court Farm, hoping to restore it and turn it into a museum. However, the plans faced difficulties because the owners' asking price for the land was too high.

Despite setbacks, the importance of Court Farm was still recognized. Cadw, a Welsh government body that protects historic sites, offered a grant for a study. This study concluded that Court Farm was worth saving because it is unique in the area, has many interesting architectural features, and is important to local history.

In 1987, Cadw offered a generous grant for restoration, but the offer was not taken up. Later, in 1988, the local council planned to buy the property to use it as a tourist information office.

Court Farm is still listed as a building at risk. In 2003, a new study confirmed its historical value and that it could be saved. The study found that the main walls were still strong and could be made stable again with new floors and roof.

Court Farm and the Sea

Court Farm has a wide view of Carmarthen Bay. It is the only surviving Elizabethan manor house in Carmarthenshire. Before a lighthouse was built, Court Farm and St Illtud's Church were important landmarks that helped ships navigate the dangerous Burry Inlet.

The Burry Inlet is known for its changing river course and shifting sandbanks, making it very difficult to navigate. Old maps show that the shape of the estuary is always changing.

In the 1600s, Sir Walter Vaughan tried to get the government to support his sea rescue plan, but he was not successful.

Shipwrecks and Rights

The Butler family had rights to all shipwrecks found on the Cefn Sidan sands. For centuries, the Lord of the Manor of Pembrey had special rights over what happened to wrecks found along the coast.

Cefn Sidan was often where many ships were wrecked. The victims were buried in Pembrey Church. The demand for coal in the 1800s led to many more shipwrecks.

Even though Court Farm was close to the sea, Sir Walter Vaughan once claimed that Carmarthenshire was an inland county to avoid providing a ship for the King. However, he did acquire at least two ships that ran aground at Pembrey. He later sold them for a good sum.

Disputes Over Wreck Rights

By the late 1700s, there was confusion about who owned the rights to wrecks between Lord Ashburnham (Lord of Pembrey Manor) and Lord Cawdor (Lord of Kidwelly). They agreed to investigate.

Lord Ashburnham claimed that his tenants always had the right to take wreck materials to a storage place, or even to Court Farm itself. The people who salvaged the items were paid for their efforts. It's possible that some of these items were stored in the barn at Court Farm.

The dispute was settled peacefully by 1830. Lord Ashburnham kept his rights over the Pembrey coastline, and Lord Cawdor kept his rights over the Kidwelly coastline.

Sometimes, cargo from wrecked ships was taken to farms owned by Lord Ashburnham. If the owner of the cargo claimed it, Lord Ashburnham's agent would charge a salvage fee. Records show examples of salvaged wine, tobacco, and timber being sold.

Eventually, all wrecks became the responsibility of a government official called the Receiver of Wrecks.

Looting Stories

There were stories of many "wreckers" in the Pembrey area. One famous wrecker, "Mat of the Iron Hand," was said to tie lanterns to sheep during storms to trick ships into crashing. He was known for killing survivors so there would be no witnesses. One day, he supposedly killed a swimmer who turned out to be Sir Walter Vaughan's eldest son. Mat was later hanged.

Old Hedges and Woods

In 1979, a group studied the hedges on Court Farm land. They counted different tree species in the hedges. Each species can represent about a hundred years of age. This study suggested that the hedges were created in the early 1500s.

This method helps historians understand how old fields are. It works because of how different tree species grow and spread into existing hedges.

In the late 1700s and early 1800s, many oak trees were planted near Court Farm. In old times, oak trees were sacred to the Druids. In the early 1800s, women in the area stripped the bark from oak trees. This bark was used to make leather.

Court Farm and St Illtud's Church

Some people have imagined that a secret tunnel connected Court Farm to the nearby St Illtud's Church.

Court Farm used to have a large stone bowl in its grounds, filled with spring water, which was used to water cattle. This bowl was believed to be a "lost" Norman font from the Church. In 1933, the bowl was moved to the Lady Chapel of the Church, where it remains today.

Interest in Court Farm's Past

People have been interested in Court Farm for many years. In 1970, a historical society visited the area. They learned about the farm's architecture and history, but couldn't go inside. The barn, which looked like a castle, was very interesting to them.

At St Illtud's Church, visitors saw old church records and memorials to important families.