Toprow 1918 Auction

The auction, held by Thos Wm Gaze & Son, took place at the Royal Hotel, Norwich at 2 o’clock on Saturday 15th June 1918. It followed the death of owner Campbell Steward Esq and encompassed nearly 350 acres – including 2 farms and a range of other smaller properties.

The greater part of the farmland was in either Ashwellthorpe or Fundenhall, whilst the northern edge, including nine of the smaller properties, was in Toprow.

The more northerly of the two farms – Lot 1 (and outlined on the adjacent map, in brown) was headquartered from The Grange.

Lots 2 & 4 being outside Wreningham have not been included in the following list.

Lot 1

The Grange, Ashwellthorpe
NB Six fields are located in
Toprow, Wreningham

Whilst the catalogue provides a multi-page description, in summary: this was a farm comprising just over 183 acres. The large farmhouse (sometimes known as “Canal House”) was fronted with a large ornamental pond. There was a clay and tiled cottage in 3 tenements and both arable & pasture fields with a small amount of woodland. A collection of other farm buildings were adjacent to the farmhouse.

Lot 3 (Lot 2 in Ashwellthorpe & Fundenhall)

Small Freehold Residence
fronting the Turnpike and
adjoining the Methodist Chapel

Entrance Hall. Parlour, Sitting Room, Kitchen, Pantry and 5 bedrooms. Garden and Privy, Pump and Well.
Convenient small premises comprising: brick and tiled outside stable of 2 loose boxes, brick, clay and tiled Hay House and Harness House, and open boarded and iron roofed two-bay Cart Shed with a Small Accommodation Paddock in the rear, No343 (in part) on Ordnance Survey Map and containing about 1 acre, occupied by Mr Charles Marshall, a yearly tenant, at a yearly rate of £14.

Lot 5 (Lot 4 in Ashwellthorpe)
Freehold Cottage

Situated near the entrance
to Lot 1

Sitting Room, Kitchen, Pantry and 3 bedrooms. Boarded and tiled shed and small garden now let to Mr Ben Catchpole at the annual rent of £6.
The tenant claims iron pan and lid in kitchen.
The Purchaser has the right to take water from the pump on Lot 6, paying one seventh of the cost of keeping the pump and well in repair.

Lot 6

Freehold Cottage
with Shop & Store

Adjoining Lot 5 containing Sitting Room, Kitchen (with Oven), Back Lobby, Pantry, Wash-House, with iron pan.
Small Shop and Store and 4 Bedrooms. A piece of Productive Ground in the rear, brick and tiled Coal and Store House, and Brick and tiled Privy, Pump, and Well of Water, in occupation of Mr Christie Greengrass, at the annual rent of £11 10s 0d landlord paying rates.
This Lot is numbered 359 (in part) on Ordnance Map and contains about Half an Acre.
All the fixtures and shelving in the shop are claimed by the tenant, also the young fruit trees and bushes is sold subject to his right of removal. Lots 5, 7, 8 & 9 to draw and take water etc.

Lot 7
Market Gardner’s Occupation

Adjoining Lot 6 and Property of Mr Galer and comprising brick and tiled Dwelling House containing Sitting Room, Kitchen with Oven, Pantry, and 3 Bedrooms, brick and tiles Wash-house (iron pan belongs to tenant), Coal and Outhouse and chamber over, large and productive Garden, with several Fruit Trees, and a small Piece of Pasture Land, numbered 360 (in part) and 362 on the Ordnance Map and containing 1A 3R 0P or thereabouts as now occupied, together with portions of Lots 1 and 12, by Mr William Catchpole at a total rent of £19, tenant paying rates; the sum of £17 10s 0d being apportioned in respect of this Lot.
Tenure Freehold. The tenant claims a boarded and iron roof shed fixed at the back of the outhouse etc. The Purchaser will have the right to draw water from the pump upon Lot 6 etc.

Lot 8
Freehold Double Cottage

Fronting Toprow Road and abutting Lot 7
Each house contains Kitchen with oven and iron pan, Pantry; one with 2 Bedrooms, and the other having one; clay boarded and tiled sheds, and privy, now occupied by Messrs George Preston and James Thompson; together with Gardens upon Lot 12, at rents amounting to £7, landlord paying rates, the sum of £6 10s 0d being apportioned with this Lot.
The wood fencing dividing this Lot from Lot 7 is sold with this Lot.
The purchaser of this Lot shall have the right to draw water from the pump on Lot 6 etc.

Lot 9
Freehold Double Cottage

Clay and tiled. Situated on the north side of Toprow Road, and adjoining property of Messrs A Moore and John Thurston, and containing: Sitting Room, Kitchen with oven, Pantry, and 2 Bedrooms; brick and tiled
Wash-house, with iron pan, and Coal House. Gardens in front and rear. As now in the occupation of Mr Albert Brown, at annual rent of £5.
The other Tenement contains Living Room, Pantry, and Bedroom. Garden and brick tiled Shed. Occupied by Mr Samuel Lane, at the annual rent of £2 12s.
The Rates on both Cottages are paid by the Landlord.
The purchaser of this Lot shall have the right to draw and take water

Lot 10
Single Cottage

Near Lot 9 and adjoining on three sides property of Mr John Thurston, from which it is divided by a brick wall. The House which was formerly let in two tenements, contains Living Room, Pantry, Kitchen with oven and iron pan, 2 Bedrooms, and Coal House; Wood and tiled Privy. Now occupied by Mrs Copeman, together with a portion of the Garden of Lot 8, at a rent of £3, Landlord paying rates. The sum of £2 15s is apportioned as the rent of this Lot.
Tenure part Freehold and part Copyhold of the Manor of Wreningham.
The purchaser of this Lot shall have the right to draw and take water from the Pump upon lot 6 etc.

Lot 11
Freehold Double Tenement

Old-fashioned clay and thatched. Each containing Living Room with oven, Pantry, and 2 Bedrooms. Gardens in front and rear, Sheds, Privy, and Well of Water. Abutting on three sides upon property of Mr Galer, and now let to Messrs Alfred Gray and Robert Hanton, together with Gardens, part of Lot 12, at rents amounting to £7 10s of which the sum of £7 is apportioned to this Lot. A Shed belonging to the tenant Mr Gray is excluded from the sale.

Lot 12
Fertile Arable Land

An enclosure with frontage on the south of Top Row Road, abutting upon property of Mr F Galer, Nos 348 and 354 on the Ordnance Survey Map of the Parish of Wreningham and containing 1A 0R 13P. Let as Gardens to Messrs B Catchpole, Copeman, Hanton, Gray, Thompson and Preston with their respective Cottages, and for the purposes of Sale the rents apportioned to this Lot amount to £2 5s.
Tenure Freehold. Tithe Rent Charge amount payable (in) 1918 (is) 9s 10d.
A Shed, the property of the tenant Preston, is excluded from the Sale.

The signed contract for Lot 11 is also included in this copy of the auction catalogue – although the sale of Lot 11 was not confirmed and signed until just over two years after the 1918 auction date.

The Sale price was £80 – with a deposit of £10 at the point of signature. The new owner was Mr Allen Charles Westgate of Bracon Ash.

A newspaper printed a listing of who bought what.

Mr W E Bothway – the brother of Herbert Bothway at The Poplars, bought Lot 1, The Grange (Ashwellthorpe) for £4,100 and also Lots 5, 7 and 8.

Lots 3 , 10 and 11 were withdrawn. See the eventual sale of Lot 11 described above.

Lot 4 went to Mr Ford.

Lot 6 went to Mr Lock.

Lot 9 went to Mr Morse and Lot 12 to Mr Stone.

The above Lot 11, in Toprow, is today known as Glastonbury Cottage – and listed in the present-day National Heritage List for England.

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