Snodland Town |
Woodlands Farm |
The Tudor building alongside the community centre in Paddlesworth Road was once the main building for the manor of "Potyns" in medieval times which embraced land on both sides of the present road. |
Both Potyns and Paddlesworth Manors appear to have been jointly owned for much of history. In the 15th century it was by the Boughton Malherse family called Wooton. From a 1468 entry of deeds, made in the 17th century, the property is noted as "Newhouse" indicating that it had already replaced an earlier building. It was sold to The Earl of Romney in 1665 by the descendants of farmer Thomas Godden. The Earl employed Nicholas Newman (1760's-1780) and Thomas Beech (1781-1808) to farm Potyns whereupon 136 acres was sold to William Gorham for £4000 in 1808. He died in 1820, title passing to Thomas Luck of West Malling and his family until 1877. However, the family did not live at Potyns for much of the time as it was occupied by Bailiffs. |
In 1844 the tithe map denotes it as Cox Farm derived it is said from the man giving rise to the famous Cox's apple Richard Cox who insisted that all farms growing it be named after it. Three labourers cottages known as Cox's were also built on adjacent roads in the 18th century. |
Joseph Champion acquired Woodlands Farm in 1877 and whilst living in nearby Covey Hall Farm rebuilt it to its current form in 1881. A drawing by William Twopeny and photos prior to the rebuild still exist. The brother of Alexander Thomson of Covey Hall Farm, David, rented Woodlands in 1903. A Mr. F.Auger (A former parish councillor now living in Willowside and still very well known in The Town) was the last person listed as farming the property before it was consumed for other uses. The land in front of the cemetery was prepared for the Snodland Crusaders Football club as far back as the early 1960's before the area became known again as Potyn's when the community centre was built. |