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The top floor of the farmhouse was one big room, or had a long corridor and John Andrew remembered riding a tricycle all along it when he was very young.

Denhill Farm in Chipstable, Somerset, has a documented history primarily tied to the Andrew family, who farmed the land for several generations starting in the late 19th century.

Ownership and The Andrew Family

  • Late 19th Century: The farm was bought by George Andrew (of Parkham, Devon) for his son, Oliver Bray Andrew (1855–1906).

  • Early 1900s: Oliver Bray Andrew moved the family to Chipstable from Wales. Records indicate he was farming at Holwell Farm (nearby) by the 1901 census but also held Denhill Farm. He died at Denhill in 1906.

  • 1920s–1930s: Oliver’s son, Titus George Andrew, took over the tenancy of Holwell Farm, effectively managing both Denhill and Holwell as adjacent properties. Local lore from the family suggests the farm was horse-powered well into the 1920s; one family story recounts horses breaking out of their stables at a new farm in Fitzhead and traveling several miles back to their old home at Denhill/Holwell.

  • Mid-20th Century: Stan Andrew (1915–2001) grew up at the farm. He later moved to Suffolk and Sussex to farm before returning to the West Country (Tatworth) and eventually emigrating to South Africa.

Historical Architecture and Estate

  • The Farmhouse: The farmhouse was noted for having a large top floor, which family members recalled as being one vast room or a long corridor where children would ride tricycles in the early 1900s.

  • Landscape: The farm is located on the edge of Chipstable, within the Brendon Hills near the River Tone. The area has long been known for its “greywacke” stone quarries and lush herbage irrigated by local springs.

  • Modern Day: Much of the original estate has been divided or repurposed. Denhill Cottage, a former part of the farm property, now serves as a holiday retreat.

Wider Historical Context of Chipstable

Denhill sits within a parish with history dating back to the Domesday Book. The surrounding area contains remains of a Roman encampment, and historical deeds for “Chipstable Farm” (which may have originally encompassed parts of the Denhill lands) date back to at least 1755, involving the Yea family and later the Hancock family of Wiveliscombe.