"In 1935, Dr Pearse rented Oakley House at Bromley Common, Kent (seven miles from Peckham). Several of the staff lodged in the house, and on the 77 acres round it a herd of Jersey cows was pastured and preparations were made to grow vegetables and fruit. The two doctors found that the vegetables on sale in the Peckham shops were frequently stale and the milk was either pasteurised or unsafe. Tuberculin-tested milk was prohibitively expensive. Within a year of acquiring Oakley House, raw milk from the tuberculin-tested Jersey herd was on sale in the Centre at the current prices of ordinary milk in the area. When the soil has begun to be revitalised by Sir Albert Howard's 'Indore' composting method of fertilising, vegetables and fruit grown on the farm were also sold in the cafeteria. Pregnant families and those with small children were given the first option. Before the war 'Scofa' bread was used in the cafeteria. After the war all the bread was made a by a local baker with stone ground flour from 100 per cent of the wheat grain.

When the Centre reopened in 1946, Oakley House and its grounds had to be retrieved from the Admiralty (who had had it from the RAF) and restocked. The first cow was bought with money subscribed by member-families on their own initiative."


Home Farm Oakley - wartime

(Taken from 'Being Me and Also Us' by Alison Stallibrass. ) see publications

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War-time evacuation to Oakley House
Even before the outbreak of war the Biologists made plans to use the farm as an evacuation centre for member-families with small children. When war came 29 families went there, choosing not to use Government schemes, though as the fear of bombing subsided about one third returned home.

"The rest stayed, and the mothers began to divide up the farm, garden and household work and the care of the children between them. Fortunately the Montessori Society had appointed two teachers to start an experimental school in the ~Centre in September and wished to transfer the scheme to the farm. An adjoining cottage was adapted (by some fathers) for use as a school, and all the children who had mastered the art of walking spent the day there, or in the garden, from 8.30 am to 5 pm.

A horticulturist, Dorothy Coupe, who had been at one time a member of the staff of the Pioneer Health Centre, took over the direction of the farm and the large walled vegetable garden, and the receptionist at the Centre, the invincible Amy Moor, the household. As long as the original farm workers remained, the mothers were able to get some help and instruction from them, but, within a month or two, they were doing all the work themselves, except for help at weekends from some of the fathers still working in London. They and the husbands on leave from the forces did most of the wood chopping, digging, electrical work and plumbing.

Mrs Ethelyn Hazell was one of the mothers. She recalled:

The women were divided into groups of four or five and changed jobs weekly, gardening, cooking and housework for instance. Some were lazy and didn't want to pull their weight. This was a bit of a problem because the co-operation of all was necessary for the success of the scheme. We fed ourselves from the market garden and the farm. The scheme was an unusual undertaking, since it provided the means of keeping families together and made it possible for women with small children still to make a contribution to the war effort. The Ministries of Health and Education began by being very interested in the scheme, and for a short time we even enjoyed the title of MAYS (Mothers' Auxiliary Yeoman Service). However, after one long night preparing full accounts and details of the scheme for the expected visit the following morning of the two Ministries concerned, we were informed that they were no longer interested in anything other than mothers going into factories and children going elsewhere…..

Part of my job was to help with the material from the cowsheds, kale fields, etc. for our compost heaps, subsequently used in the gardens and farm. Everything was grown organically. The Centre Doctors saw clearly the need for study of the evidence concerning soil fertility and health and, with Lady Balfour and others formed the Haughley Trust in 1939, and, later, the Soil Association. link to Soil Association

It was a pity we had to leave after a year because we all benefited enormously. We learned new skills, and some people became really interested in the farm and garden work.

At the end of nine months, in spite of the absence of enemy action over Britain, there were twelve mothers still at the farm. They had survived an exceptionally long cold winter, and had overcome their town-dwellers' fear of animals and dislike of what they thought of as 'dirt': they had adjusted to living in a very cold house with the minimum of comfort and to communal living. The seven or eight who had previously returned home had felt it was better to be looking after their husbands and their own homes, but most had gone with regret, for they had been long enough on the farm for its good effect to show in their own and their children's health. The Biologists noted that the increase in health and vitality of the families was surprising and impressive and also the improvement in the relationships observable between the children and parents and wives and husbands. It seemed to them that the mothers remained to endure the hard work and the hardships because they were growing fresh healthy food for their own children, and, at the same time, were learning new skills and acquiring new interests. Their self-esteem and joy in life was increased by the development of their potential capabilities. Their lives had become fuller and more significant - an increase, apparently, on what membership of the Centre had already affected.

Then came the Battle of Britain. Bromley Common was close to Biggin Hill, the RAF fighter base which the Luftwaffe were trying to put out of action. Dr Williamson decided to call it a day. They began to prepare to leave but, before they could do so, Oakley House was commandeered by the RAF and they were forced to disperse in a hurry. The farm stock was quickly sold. A week later, the farm sheds, dairy, garages, and greenhouses were destroyed by enemy action and a neighbour's cow was killed. Many of the Centre records were also destroyed although Dr Pearse had had time to analyse some of the figures."

(Taken from 'Being Me and Also Us' by Alison Stallibrass) see publications