Hardwick Court Farm

Hardwick Court Farm is a large farm in Chertsey, Surrey. The first farm was established during the Saxon period. The Saxon main road to Chertsey runs right through it; the road is disused and is now a farm track.

The "Court" in the name refers to the manor court held in the Tithe Barn. The Tithe Barn was built for Chertsey Abbey, who owned the farm, to store tithes or taxes in kind. The court was only for minor offences or to settle arguments. The barn has been dated by London University at 1445AD.

During the reign of King Henry 8th, the farm was taken over by the Crown as part of the dissolution of the monasteries. It became part of the Royal Estates.

During the English Civil War the Farm was held by the Royalists. The Parliamentarians captured the farm and kept a document listing all of the land owned by Parliament. After the war the farm was returned to the Royal family and was a present from King Charles II to his wife.

The farm remained in the Royal Family until the Georgian period, when it was sold off. During the Blitz in World War 2 the farm was hit by two bombs. One hit Cockrow Hill. The other hit the corner of the house and destroyed the kitchen, part of the dining room, a bedroom and part of the attic. The house survived and where the hole was they built the new outer walls around.

In 1963 the farm came up for sale and was bought by Carl Boyde, the farm was divided up and a small chunk of the farm had a small narrow gauge railway built on it, which is still running and is called the Great Cockrow Railway.

Sadly the farm had to have the M25 motorway through two of its fields.

Over the years Dr Carl Boyde has treated many animals. He even over two separate occasions had two elephants live on the farm, a llama, a camel, an African Cow, two Spanish donkeys.

In 2007 the Farm was right at the front line in the fight against foot and mouth. the farm was only three hundred yards down the road from where hundreds of cattle had to be killed. luckily the farm was spared.

Information from the Boyde family