Hillly Farm was situated off the High Street and stretched to the east of the town.
The following announcement of a farm sale is taken from the Kettering Leader newspaper dated 29 August 1895.
The 18th century house, c1900 was the home of Mr & Mrs Jesse Fox who farmed the land. Mr Jesse Fox had previously been landlord at the Horse and Groom Inn and returned there after his spell in farming.
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Mr and Mrs Jesse Fox, early 1900s. The view across their fields looking towards the Wold
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Mr Jesse Fox and family outside their farmhouse
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In later years Mr W D Evans took over the farm and eventually developed a chicken hatchery on the premises providing day-old chicks for a wide area in the county and surrounding counties. A further property, a wooden bungalow, was provided at the rear of the farmyard for the farm manager, Mr Fred Blanchard. Following this, a house, White Lodge, and further hatcheries were built in Higham Road on part of the farm and Mr & Mrs Blanchard moved to this property.
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Cottages fronting the High Street adjoining Hilly Farm 1965 - later demolished
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Whilst digging a silage pit in a field off Higham Road in 1954 a hoard of 120 Roman coins and a quantity of Roman pottery was revealed by Mr Cyril Desborough.
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Cyril Desborough getting the feel of a Ferguson tractor
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In the 1990s the area around the farm was developed and a number of houses were built, some converted from farm barns, leading on to a larger housing estate at the rear of the farm.
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