On This Day in Wembury – 11 May 1866
An advertisement announced the letting of Knighton Farm, Wembury, for a new fourteen year term. Then under the tenancy of Mr Lobb, the farm stretched to around one hundred and eighty acres, with sixteen acres pasture, four acres orchard, and the remainder arable. Its position on the banks of the River Yealm was seen as a particular advantage, with tenants entitled to collect seaweed free of charge for use as fertiliser, a valuable resource for improving the light coastal soils.
The notice emphasised that the land would be let free of tithe rent charge and land tax, a significant incentive at the time. Prospective tenants were invited to view the property on Tuesdays and Thursdays, guided by Philip Cobly, with tenders to be lodged through local solicitors or land agents.
Reflection
The advert gives a glimpse into the agricultural economy of mid Victorian Wembury. Farms like Knighton were run as mixed enterprises with orchards, sheep, and arable fields, with the Yealm providing both access and enrichment through seaweed manure. Today the land forms part of the familiar patchwork around Knighton, but in 1866 it represented a substantial and attractive lease for anyone hoping to make a livelihood from South Devon farming.