The Lawrence family has lived at Isleport farm for over 100 years, and Mike has been collecting old farm machinery for as long as he can remember. The equipment dates to the 1900s, and Mike gave TFH a tour of some of his favourite items.
Long history
“The family has lived here since 1901,” he explained. “The house has changed little over the years, although there has been a farm on this site since before 1414.”
According to Mike, the area around Highbridge has a long history of flooding, and in bad years the water has risen by as much as 12 feet. “This resulted in some serious damage hundreds of years ago, and the current property dates from 1747,” said Mike, who is the third generation of Lawrence to live at the farm.
“Back in my grandfather’s time, we made cheese and butter in the farm’s dairy and kept a herd of shorthorn cattle. They used to hold a weekly cheese auction in the town, which was one of the largest of its kind in the UK,” Mike recalls.
