This farm was on what is now known as Bishopsford Road adjacent to the still existing Hill House. In the Henry Hoare sale catalogue of 1828 it has no name and is simply described as a "ferme ornee" meaning "decorative farm". Locally, it had been known for years as "Pig Farm" and it's understandable that the agents felt this would not sound good on an advertisement for what was indeed an unusually attractive farmhouse.
This painting of 1826 is titled "Rye Farm - Henry Hoare" but it depicts the property named as Lot 9 in the sale catalogue. Henry too was avoiding mentioning pigs! The 1910 Valuation Records at The National Archives describe the house as being of stucco with a slate roof.
This page was added by Cheryl Bailey on 12/06/2010.