Agricultural History Review, Volume 70 Part 1 (2022), p. 140

This short booklet opens by setting the background to model farms in general, drawing on Susanna Wade Martins’ book on the subject, and situates them in terms of agricultural, political and social contexts, with Prince Albert’s farm at Windsor presented as a ‘model’ for model farms. Four farms in south Gloucestershire and three in North Somerset are reviewed before examining Eastwood Manor Farm at East Harptree as the major focus of the book. Owned by William Taylor, his plans and concepts were implemented by Robert Smith: having established himself as a breeder of cattle and sheep in Rutland, Smith was also agent to John Knight and Frederick Winn Knight, responsible for implementing their extensive reclamation project on Exmoor. The booklet concludes by considering the success of model farms in the Avon area in terms of agricultural and financial parameters. In doing so, this short book localizes the general concept of Victorian model farms to one specific geographical area. Whilst the publication is well presented, the diagrams therein could be made clearer.