Littlethorpe Lodge was accessed by taking Wide Lane from The Square, after passing the cottages of Spring Gardens on the left, a track turned right and followed the line of the Cosby brook to reach the farm. The brook wound its way around the farm to eventually join the river Soar by the road bridges between Narborough and Littlethorpe. This no doubt provided a valuable water source for the farm but was also liable to heavy flooding in extreme weather. Later, in 1864 the LNWR was to cross the land here with its new railway.
1886 Ordnance Survey Map showing the farm and its buildings, and garden.
Farmed by Thomas Kendall (1782-1858) from at least 1846 until his death on the 2nd June 1858. Probate was quickly granted on the 22nd, with an estate value of £1000 (2026 equivalent £159,00). A sale took place at the month end and comprised 10 Short Horn dairy cattle, 30 hogs (sheep), 4 pigs, farm implements, and other farming stock plus 44 acres of grass keeping.
The farm appears to have been sold in two lots because by the time of the 1861 census taken on the 7th April, James Freer (1811-1864) aged 49 was farming 27 acres, and Charles Allsop, 50, 20 acres.
James, who was born in Littlethorpe in 1811, is listed with Eliza, his wife 47, sons Joseph & Issac 21 and 12, mother May 72, a housemaid Sarah Toon 13, and Samuel Sharpe a cow boy aged 15. James dies 1st November 1864. Probate with effects under £450 was granted to his son Joseph in the following January. Joseph carries on the farm with his young brother Issac. The Leicester Journal of 1st May 1867 advertises a sale by Joseph & Issac Freer, now aged 27 & 18 respectively, this for a cart horse mare, a filly, and a cob, plus farming implements, dairy utensils, and household furniture.
The census return taken 2nd April 1871 shows Thomas Wall (1806-1881) aged 65 farming 71 acres here, with him are his wife Mary 58, son William 30, daughter Elizabeth 22, and Edward Clarke 15, a farm servant. Other evidence points to Thomas farming here from at least 1867.
Confusingly The Leicester Daily Mercury of 22nd November 1876, carries a report about Charles Baker of Littlethorpe Lodge suing the London & North Western Railway for £40 due to the loss of a pony hit by one of their trains, because of inadequate fencing to the line crossing his land, he won!
On the 5th May 1877, Porter & Taylor auctioneers are instructed by Mr C.Baker (who is leaving on account of the land being announced for sale) to sell implements, dairy unrensils, 3 dairy cows, 1 barren cow, grey cart horse, 4 pigs, 5 couples of fowls, 8 pigeons, 2 dog carts, chaff cutter, turnip cutter, barrel churn, part stack of hay, and 9 acres of grass keeping.
Charles (20 acres) was living with wife Hannah 32, son Issac 8, George Middleton 14, a cow boy, and Maria Brown 12, a house maid.
Paying for votes.The Leicester Journal of 14th December 1867 carried the following statement from Joseph;- I the undersigned, Joseph Freer, of Littlethorpe Lodge rented nine acres of land under Mr. W. Orton, surgeon, Narborough, until last Lady-day. Ten or eleven pounds is still due to Mr. Orton for the rent of this land. Just before the Election (on the 26th of November), Mr. Orton called upon me and my brother, and said, “I shall want you to give me your votes, and you must vote for Mr. Pell.” I said to Mr. Orton, ” Our principles are the same as Mr. Paget’s, and so were our father’s before us, we promised Mr. Paget, and we shall rote for him, Mr. Orton then said, ” I have forborne with you for some time in the matter of rent you owe me, and if you don’t oblige me, I shall take further proceedings against you directly.” My brother and I voted for Mr. Paget, and Mr. Orton sent me a summons to the County Court, dated 2nd. December, that is, within four days of the day we voted for Mr. Paget. Witness, • Joseph Freer. Isaac Freer. 9th Dec. 1867.
The 1871 census taken on 2nd April shows Thomas Wall (1806-1881) aged 65 farming 71 acres here, with him are wife Mary 58, son William 30, daughter Elizabeth 22, and Edward Clarke 15, a farm servant. Other evidence points to Thomas farming here from at least 1867.
Confusingly The Leicester Daily Mercury of 22nd November 1876, carries a report about Charles Baker of Littlethorpe Lodge suing the London & North Western Railway for £40 due to the loss of a pony hit by one of their trains, because of inadequate fencing to the line crossing his land, he won!
The 1881 census taken on the 3rd April and Thomas now 75 is still farming the same acreage, with wife Mary, son William, and daughter Elizabeth, also living in is James Smith 16, a farm servant. Unfortunately a couple of weeks later, The Leicester Mercury reports Thomas’s death by suicide on 21st April aged 75. In a note left for his family he cites the bad state of business and recent flooding of the land, he hopes that son William will seek help and guidance from Stephen North, the farmer from Old House Farm in the village, he also requested ‘that Mr Hubbard should make my coffin’.
The Leicester Journal of 30th August 1883 reports on the bankruptcy of Charlotte Reynolds, Grazier and carrier, with liabilities of £550 (£70,000 equivalent value in 2026). Reynolds was one of a few regular carriers between the village and leicester, operating from the early 1860’s. Her base in Leicester was The Peacock Inn on the corner of Highcross Street and Peacock Lane.
On 17th October 1884 The Leicester Journal gives notice for a sale on the 7th November of three closes of land, also lands belonging to Messrs Briggs, Potter, and fisher totalling 16 acres in the occupation of Mr William Wall.
An article in the Leicester Chronicle dated 3rd October 1885 relates to John Hames farming here also.
Robert Cooper (1831-1907) takes on the farm in about 1884 and retains it until his retirement sale at the end of. August 1906. The sale includes 11 tithe free enclosures totalling 72 acres, 1 rood, and 18 perches. These have a land tax liability of 7 shillings per annum. The house of 16 rooms, range of farm buildings, orchard, and garden. Retirement doesn’t last long for Robert as he dies on 30th August 1907. It isn’t until May 1942 that his executors offer for sale his six investment properties, 29 to 39 Station Road.
One of the trade directories for 1908 notes the shows it being farmed by Woodward & Meeson, then at the time of the 1911 census on the 2nd April we have Nathaniel Woodward (1861-1930) aged 50 and a widower, with sons Oliver and Frank, aged 22 & 20 working on the farm, they are employing Lizzie Sturgess 40, as housekeeper. June 1921 the date of the census and Nathaniel now 60 is still here, but now with a wife Mary 55, son Oliver, who in July 1919 had been charged with the ill treatment of a horse, is still on the farm. Nathaniel passes away at home in King Street, Enderby on 30th December 1930.
The 1925 and 1936 Kellys Directories of Leicestershire & Rutland list George Marvin as the farmer here, but by the time of the 1939 register taken 29th September it shows William Cross (1886-1968) 53, a dairy farmer with wife Emma 58, and farm labourer Jesse Pratt. William had previously worked for his father, another William at Flash Farm just the other side of the Fosse Road. So Marvin it seems was here possibly from the early 1920’s until possibly early 1939. Kellys again in 1941 shows William Cross. Then in June 1945 The Market Harborough Advertiser reports that E.A.Lane sold by auction “Littlethorpe Lodge Farm with house, buildings and 72 acres” for £4000 with early possession , and also Littlethorpe Farm with house & 59 acres for £2500. The Leicester Evening Mail of 3rd September 1945 then advertises a retirement sale for William Cross to take place on 4th October. Included are the live and dead farming Stock, comprising 22 home red beasts, 2 valuable work horses, and a useful assortment of agricultural implements. So did the first sale bring about Williams retirement or, was he retiring anyway?
The farm was bought by John Durham (1898-1962) a demolition contractor from Leicester, he also bought the nearby Langham Bridge Farm but having little farming experience he was declared bankrupt in July 1958 due to an unpaid amount of tax relating to previous property transactions. He bought Lodge Farm for £4200 on a mortgage in 1946 and additional land in Cosby Road for £1750, He bought implements and livestock costing about £2200, advanced by banks and the demolition business ceased in 1954. In 1947 he also bought Langham Bridge Farm costing about £4134, £2700 of which was with a building society mortgage, and the balance from banks. The Leicester Evening Mail of 21st November 1959 reports that he did not admit insolvency because he had an estimated surplus of over £2500. John died aged 64 in the summer of 1962.
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