Page 11 - br-feb-2021

February 2021 February 2021

cottages, the oldest being the Cruck Cottage, was about to enter the most OBITUARIES
dramatic and exciting period in its history.

Ernest Debenham was very much an idealist, with a practical imagination. The Eventually this work dried up, and new avenues were needed. A
dream he had when he bought Affpuddle Farm, Briantspuddle Farm, Rogers Hill local introduced Dad to wood burning stoves. After a drive to South
Farm and Turnerspuddle Farm, together with land in surrounding villages was far Wales to visit an importer of Norwegian Wood burners, we took on an agency
ahead of its time. It was to create a totally self-sufficient agricultural enterprise. to sell and install these stoves. The demand for these stoves grew, and more
and more stoves came on the market. Our area grew, and we were sending
That dream is best described in the preface of a brochure prepared for its many stoves all over the south west and into the Channel Islands. Again, this market
visitors in 1929, by which time the project had become a going concern. dwindled, and a new venture was needed.

The Bladen Farms should be considered an experiment initiated with the chief Building up a highly skilled workforce, Dad took on the repair and
object of ascertaining whether, under modern conditions, and with the resources maintenance of our local churches, travelling throughout Dorset, and
and facilities supplied to agriculture by recent scientific discoveries, it is possible sometimes further afield, he built a reputation for the business as to knowing
for Dorset (and inferentially for Great Britain as a whole) to produce a larger what they were doing. This proved to be a passion for Dad, all he wanted to
proportion of home-grown foods, especially of animal origin, than it does at do was work on the churches.
present.
Sadly, tragedy struck in 2006 his daughter Sue died. After a 7-year battle
Sir Ernest – created a Baronet in 1931 for his services to agriculture – was cancer finally defeated her. This had a devastating effect on Mum and Dad,
challenging not only traditional practices, but defying the economic reality of low but with their strong faith they overcame their grief.
farm prices in the face of cheap foodstuffs from abroad. “Everybody thought
Grandpa was just a rich old draper” says his daughter-in-law, Beatrice Dad could not retire, he kept saying he was not ready to. Mum was quite keen
Debenham, who was married to Ernest’s younger son Martin, “but he had such for him to stop, or at least slow down. It was time for them to have some
imagination and enterprise. Although he was a tough business man who formed quality time together, before they got too old and infirm to enjoy holidays and
the Drapery Trust he was also a very fair and kind man, and very benevolent.” a bit of peace and quiet. But no, the time was not here yet. Although we did
manage to persuade him to go part time. 3 days a week, and long weekends.
The name Bladen Estate was derived from the old form of Blackdown or Blagden, However, he still managed to wander into the office on his supposed days off.
after the hill overlooking Briantspuddle. Ernest Debenham built Moor Lane House, Just to see what was going on.
so called after the old inn The Moor’s Head which at one time existed on the site.
Again, tragedy struck in 2018. Mum and Dad went on holiday to Madeira, as
The village of Affpuddle, following the line of the river Piddle, was considered to was their idea of getting a bit of winter sunshine. Sadly, Mum never came
have too much natural beauty for further development, and so the major home alive. On the day they were to return home, she was taken into hospital,
building programme started in 1919 after the delay of the First World War, was and died 4 days later. After 67 years of marriage, Dad’s life was in tatters.
centred around Briantspuddle. Alone in Madeira he phoned Marie-Anne to ask her to deal with the logistics of
bring Mum home. To compound matters I was away on a boy’s trip skiing.
Experiments were carried out
on almost all types of farming When Dad returned, he really did retire. Although he even then kept telling
between 1919 and 1929. The people he was part time, and was hand if needed. It gave him something to
very first silage tower in the concentrate on.
country was erected at
Br i antspu dd le . A mi lk As he only lived next door, we could all keep an eye
processing factory was set up on him, as he was happy, if that is the right word, to
in The Ring buildings, the live on his own. He even learnt to cook for himself.
C e n t r a l D a i r y . T h e Only the basics mind you.
Briantspuddle Farm was
organised on modern lines and Failing health gradually caught up with him. The worst
milk was imported from all the bit was having to give up the car. Although some
might say not a moment too soon. We needed some

74 11