During the late 1980s and during the 1990s several small housing developments were completed within the Sibfords following the sale or reallocation of former agricultural land for private housing. These small developments, for just a few houses, provided multi-bedroomed accommodation encouraging younger families to help to balance the retired/older population.

Home Farm Court – Arthur Bishop farmed Home Farm in Sibford Ferris for many years. In the farmyard adjacent to the farm house, in a single storey barn, large beef animals were housed and on a winter’s morning their warm steamy breath could be seen emerging over the barn doors. When bachelor Arthur died the farmhouse was sold privately and the animal barn was sold for development. Four new family homes with long rear gardens running down to the Sib, known as Home Farm Court, were built.

Folly Court – Ken Bishop farmed at Folly Farm south of Sibford Ferris. He too sold the farmhouse privately and released some land bordering Main Street, Sibford Ferris for housing development. Local builder Jim Messenger applied to build five new homes on what had been pig styes and grain stores and two further homes were converted from an existing road frontage farm house.

Ferris Court – The original Stewart family home at High Rock, Woodway Road, Sibford Ferris, stood in extensive grounds which had included a productive vegetable garden, a bowling green, tennis court and orchards which ran down to the Hook Norton Road. Malcolm Allpress ran his father-in-law’s coach business, Tanners Bus company from a garage opposite the village school in Sibford Gower and as the business grew parked some of the buses on Stewart’s land. When the Stewart family decided to sell the family home the house and some of the adjacent land was bought by Allpress who renamed the house Richmond House. David Stewart retained the original name and built a new property called High Rock further along Hook Norton Road on part of Stewart’s Yard site. The stone used was brought from the company’s quarries at Rollright and Cross Hands, Long Compton with sand and gravel from Wiggington and Cross Hands. However, the bus company’s premises were non sustainable in a small village with narrow roads and the business eventually moved away. Parts of the Richmond House site were developed with new housing while the orchards between Stewart’s yard and Woodway road on land bordering the Hook Norton Road also provided four new family homes in a small courtyard known as Ferris Court.

Stewart’s Court – some villagers will remember Stewart’s Yard on Hook Norton Road from which the Stewart family ran their haulage, heavy machinery and sand and gravel businesses. Once David retired, the working yard was no longer required so David put the yard up for sale with planning permission for two new houses at the road frontage while retaining some of the land for his ownership. The yard was bought by Nigel Matthews from Hook Norton who reapplied for, and was granted planning permission, for four houses. These were built by a Middle Barton builder whose name just happened to be David Stewart. So, the new development, built by a D Stewart on land sold by a D Stewart just had to called Stewart’s Court!

Burdrop Farm – lay behind Burdrop corner and behind Hawkes Lane. It was owned by the Poulton family and farmed by Lewis, Henry and Mabel’s grandfather, William. When he died his children sold the farmhouse, yard and land while retaining their own homes and businesses. The farm was bought by John Phillips, who owned Muddle Barn Farm in the Gower and he put a farm manager into the farmhouse. When he sold his farms and moved away a portion of land just off the highway was sold for development and four new houses were built there.

Maureen Hicks