Turnpike Farm, at one time, straddled the old turnpike road (Melton rd) which runs through Hickling Pastures. Records are somewhat confusing and cross-over with Field Farm which is sited off Kinoulton Lane and between the Melton Rd and Kinoulton; the confusion is likely to be a consequence of the old Turnpike Farm boundaries.

Research, to date, seems to indicate that the Davies family farmed Turnpike Farm when it straddled the Melton Road (and probably including Field Farm); this seems to have been from (at least) the early 1800s until 1881 when the daughter of the family, Mary Davies, married Richard Salt. At this point, John Davies retired and Richard and Mary (Davies) Salt took over the farm/s.

At present, it seems that the death of Richard Salt in 1927 brought about a separation between Turnpike Farm and Field Farm; Richard’s eldest son, John, farmed Turnpike Farm and his second son, Albert, farmed Field Farm (as recorded in the 1939 Register) with his third son, Richard, farming The Blossoms.

• The Salt family settled at Field Farm after Richard and Mary’s marriage in 1881 and their children were born there. Turnpike Farm seems to have been under their ownership but was occupied by others until being passed to John Salt in (or before) 1927.
• Descendents of the Salt family continue to live at Field Farm.
• Turnpike Farm is now farmed by the Taylor family.

We hope to be able to update this page when it is clearer.

Turnpike House?

Until relatively recently, the community on Hickling Pastures was mostly made up of farms and farm cottages. The Census of 1851 records the Maltby family (farmers) living at Turnpike House but we don’t know whether this was a separate Turnpike House entirely; or is a mis-recording of Turnpike Farm; or if Turnpike House is a previous name for a different property?

• Turnpike House, Hickling
• Thomas Maltby – Head – Married – Male – 29 – 1822 – Farmer – Riddings, Derbyshire
• Easter Maltby – Wife – Married – Female – 19 – 1832 – Selson, Notts
• Hannah Mary Maltby – Daughter – Female – Bagthorpe, Notts
• John Maltby – Brother – Married – Male – 34 – 1817 – Farmer – Riddings, Derbyshire
• Emma Maltby – Wife – Married – Female – 30 – 1821 – Bagthorpe, Notts
• William Maltby – Son – Male – 6 – 1845 – Bagthorpe, Notts
• Mary Maltby – Daughter – Female – 4 – 1847 – Bagthorpe, Notts
• John Maltby – Son – Male – 2 – 1849 – Bagthorpe, Notts
• Anne Maltby – Daughter – Female – Hickling
• Hannah Betts – Visitor – Unmarried – Female – 29 – 1822 – Visitor – Bagthorpe, Notts

An evacuation story: Field Farm, Hickling Pastures

Picking up a page from our website about William Salt who died during WWI, Avril Thesing contacted us to share her memories of the Salt family, her evacuation to Field Farm and a friendship which has continued for over 75 years.

Avril has written her memories down so that they can be read by her grandchildren and we are incredibly grateful to her for offering to share her writings with us, too. The old farmhouse, the orchards, visits to Melton Market, milking, cheese-making, knitting circles, Bill in the shafts of the family trap, leghorn chickens roosting in the apple trees, problems with 3-legged stools; Avril’s writing is wonderfully descriptive, gently kind and full of understanding. These pages give us an extraordinary view into wartime England and an almost lost part of our village history – enjoy!

From the Wadkin Archives:

Scrapbook of Hickling:

• (p.19) 1899 Mr. Torr of Hickling Pastures (now Turnpike Farm) “in a mad frenzy with drink” shot his daughter in mistake for his wife as she ran out of the door.

Maggie’s Memories:

• (p.11) Also Mr. Joseph Ward and family of eight or nine, who lived on the Turnpike, Hickling Pastures, he was a farmer. They attended morning service at the Parish Church most Sundays and rode down in their horse and trap and his horse was stabled at Rose Cottage, the same thing happened at Christmas, Granny Simpson presented with a couple of rabbits, no wonder cold rabbit pie was always on the Rose Cottage menu at Christmas.
• (p.67) When I was in my teens I collected and sold Poppies round the Lodges and Hickling Pastures, Mrs. Bush a War Widow (now Mrs. George Starbuck) and in her 80’s) went with me, we walked. We set off with boxes of Flanders Poppies and collecting box and started on Green Lane calling at ‘Dell Farm’ where Mr. & Mrs. Noel Marriott lived at that time, then up the hill and to Mr. Charlie Frisby’s Farm, down the turnpike calling at farms and cottages (of course no houses were built on Pastures at this time) when we arrived at Mr. Sydney Robotham’s House, tea was made for us (Mr. R. was the Legion organiser). We turned back and walked down the big hill on the Chapel Lane, calling at the lodges on our way and our last call was at Barland Fields. One year it poured with rain the whole of the time, we had umbrella’s, wellingtons, and mackintoshes but we still were wet, I sometimes think what would happen in this day and age if asked to collect and walk as many miles, but we were pleased to do it for the sake of those who gave their lives for their Country.