life
COUNTRYSIDE, WILDLIFE & FARMING
Changing face of the
countryside
By Tony Ridd
Photo: Henry Holden (Taken by Tony Ridd)
How often do you hear the
phrase, ‘It’s in his blood’? Well,
having spent some time with
Henry Holden you could well
believe the fact that he has
farming and livestock running
through his arteries and veins,
instead of some less important
red sticky goo that the rest of us
seem to use.
The ‘Holden’ family moved to
the island in 1886 to manage
64
the then nunnery owned farm,
slaughter house in Scarrots Lane.
large field with horses, they went
Little Whitcombe, just outside
Born and raised on the Isle of
off and bought a Fordson Tractor
Carisbrooke.
His great grandfather on his
mothers side was a slaughter-man
Wight, Henry has spent all of his
to speed up the job. This was
life working in the countryside.
also used at harvest time when
During the war years Henry
thrashing the corn.
for the Duchy of Cornwall
remembers his father ploughing
Henry started hand milking
in Dorchester. When Henry’s
fields with horses. A pair of horses
cows at the tender age of seven
grandfather moved to the island
would only plough an acre a day
and after leaving school at 14,
and married a local girl he too
before becoming too tired and
his first job was as dairyman at
became a slaughter man and
having to rest so that they could
Newclose Farm, Thorley. He went
butcher running a butchers shop
be worked the following day.
to Sparshot College for twelve
in Pyle Street, Newport, with the
Having started one particularly
months to learn more about
Island Life - www.isleofwight.net