National Farm Survey-Kirkby Malham
National Farm Survey of England and Wales, 1941
When the Second World War began Britain was faced with the need to increase home food production and the area of land under cultivation had to be increased significantly. The Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries set up County War Agricultural Executive Committees (‘County War Ags’) to oversee this increased food production. They had powers to direct what was grown, to take possession of land, to terminate tenancies, to inspect property, and to organise mobile groups of farm workers. One of the first tasks was to direct a ploughing-up campaign with large expanses of grassland being prepared for cultivation and instructions given as to what should be planted. To assist in this campaign, a preliminary farm survey was started in June 1940 and farms were classified A, B, or C, depending on their productive state (ie. the physical condition of the land) and the managerial efficiency (or otherwise) of the farmer (in extreme cases land was taken over by the local Committee). The War Ag instructed farmers to plough part of their land and plant alternative crops, as can be seen in the extracts below.
 
Oats being grown in Malhamdale. The fertile soil produced long stems which caused problems at harvest. |
 
Sugar Beet being grown at Newfield. It proved too difficult to harvest and was trialed for one year only. |
Second Domesday Book
Having reached their initial goals, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries then started a 2nd survey to be used in forward planning, which like Domesday would provide a “permanent and comprehensive record of the conditions on the farms of England and Wales” . The National Farm Survey undertaken by district committees consisting of experienced farmers, and was begun in early 1941 and completed by the end of 1943. Every farm and holding of five acres or more was surveyed in addition to the information already gathered in a census return of farms completed by the farmers on June 4th 1941, which had included crop acreage, livestock numbers, information on rents and their length of occupancy.
The records created by the inspectors for each farm included information on the conditions of tenure and occupation, and the general state of the farm including its fertility, adequacy of equipment, water and electricity supplies, weeds or pest infestations, and general management. A map showing the fields and boundaries for each farm was also produced.
View a complete transcript of the
National Farm Survey for Malhamdale 1942
, complete with maps.
National Farm Survey – Kirkby Malham 1941
This extract shows some of the details recorded for the farms in the township of Kirkby Malham, taken from both the farm census return and the inspector’s report. These are available at the National Archives in the record series Kirkby Malham MAF32/1144/459/1-8. The entries in red show the land ploughed up and planted under the direction of the County War Agricultural Executive Committee.
| Green Farm (Manor House) | |
| Farm | Green Farm 459/1 – Category B |
| Tenant | George Alderson |
| Owner | JA Procter, Holgate Head 189 acres & M Knowles 33.9 acres |
| Rent | £152 pa |
| Length of occupation | 7 years |
| Family workers | 2M 2F |
| Workers employed | 1M |
| Grass -Mowing | 39 acres |
| Grass – Grazing | 212 acres |
| Rough Grazing | 6 acres |
| Other (WAEC) | 6.5 acres oats, mixed corn, kale and roots |
| Cattle and calves | 40 |
| Sheep and Lambs | 315 |
| Pigs | 2 |
| Poultry | 85 |
| Goats | 2 |
| Horses | 3 |
| Notes | Electric light, spring water supply (seasonal) , no tractor |
| Accraplatts | |
| Farm | Accraplatts 459/2 – Category B |
| Tenant | Richard Brown |
| Owner | *GCM Barlow, Hazeldene, Altham, Accrington 222.5 acres &E Hodkinson, The Green, Hellifield 66.6 acres |
| Rent | £178pa |
| Length of occupation | *26 years, rest 8 yrs |
| Family workers | 2M 2F |
| Workers employed | 1M 1F |
| Grass -Mowing | 34 acres |
| Grass – Grazing | 110 acres |
| Rough Grazing | 115 acres |
| Other (WAEC) | 6 acres rape and kale |
| Cattle and calves | 40 |
| Sheep and Lambs | 326 |
| Pigs | 1 |
| Poultry | 46 |
| Goats | 7 |
| Horses | 3 |
| Notes | No Electric, spring water supply (constant) , no tractor |
| Church Farm | |
| Farm | Church Farm 459/3 – Category B |
| Tenant | John Bradley |
| Owner | JA Procter, Holgate Head 363 acres &KM School Trustees 71 acres |
| Rent | £200 pa |
| Length of occupation | 7 years |
| Family workers | 3M 2F |
| Workers employed | 3M |
| Grass -Mowing | 41 acres |
| Grass – Grazing | 175 acres |
| Rough Grazing | 186 acres |
| Other (WAEC) | 10 acres oats, rape, kale and turnips |
| Cattle and calves | 42 |
| Sheep and Lambs | 405 |
| Pigs | 2 |
| Poultry | 175 |
| Goats | 13 |
| Horses | 2 |
| Notes | No Electric, spring water supply (constant) , no tractor |
| Westbank Farm | |
| Farm | Westbank Farm 459/5 – Category B |
| Tenant | Edward Newhouse |
| Owner | JA Procter, Holgate Head |
| Rent | £65 pa |
| Length of occupation | 40years |
| Family workers | 1M |
| Workers employed | 0 |
| Grass -Mowing | 13.5 acres |
| Grass – Grazing | 64 acres |
| Rough Grazing | |
| Other (WAEC) | 3.5a oats and potatoes |
| Cattle and calves | 18 |
| Sheep and Lambs | 101 |
| Pigs | |
| Poultry | 110 |
| Goats | |
| Horses | 1 |
| Notes | No Electric, piped water supply (constant), no tractor |
| Kirkby Top Farm | |
| Farm | Kirkby Top Farm 459/6 – Category B |
| Tenant | Joseph Ernest Johnson |
| Owner | Exors Wilbury Kendal, Bournemouth 186 acres &TH Geldard, Prior Hall 18 acres |
| Rent | £155 pa |
| Length of occupation | 5 years |
| Family workers | 1M |
| Workers employed | 0 |
| Grass -Mowing | 27 acres |
| Grass – Grazing | 30 acres |
| Rough Grazing | 128.5 acres |
| Other (WAEC) | 5.5 acres oats, kale, roots and potatoes, 1.5 acres oats |
| Cattle and calves | 24 |
| Sheep and Lambs | 187 |
| Pigs | 2 |
| Poultry | 50 |
| Goats | 0 |
| Horses | 2 |
| Notes | No Electric, piped water supply (poor/constant), no tractor |
| New Close | |
| Farm | New Close 459/8 – Category A |
| Tenant | Silvester James Verity |
| Owner | JA Procter, Holgate Head 635 acres, KM School Trustees 7 acres & Hanlith Estates Ltd 4 acres |
| Rent | £288pa |
| Length of occupation | 8 years |
| Family workers | 1M |
| Workers employed | 2M |
| Grass -Mowing | 55 acres |
| Grass – Grazing | 130 acres |
| Rough Grazing | 400 acres |
| Other (WAEC) | 6 acres oats and seeds, 6 acres oats, kale , roots and potatoes |
| Cattle and calves | 70 |
| Sheep and Lambs | 750 |
| Pigs | 0 |
| Poultry | 67 |
| Goats | 3 |
| Horses | 4 |
| Notes | No Electric, piped water supply (constant), no tractor |
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Transcribed and from original material in the National Archives © KirkbyMalham.info |
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Malhamdale Local History Group 