Greens Norton Gallery

Above - Greens Norton Hall. Until perhaps the beginning of the 1940s, the local residences of "The Gentry" or "The Toffs" offered an alternative source of employment in rural areas. Greens Norton was no different in this respect and the livelihood of a large number of its inhabitants depended upon the local gentry. The 'big house' included The Court, The Hall, The Manor, The Chantry, Littleworth, Duncote Hall and The Rectory. There was always work in service, around the house, in the gardens or the stables. Staff like butlers, cooks, cleaners, gardeners, etc, were always needed, and the custom of the owners of these larger houses would be vital to local tradesmen. Some local women took in washing as it was thought that laundries could not be trusted with delicate fabrics.

Greens Norton was a popular area for hunting and horseriding, and was distinctly in "Grafton Hunt" territory, (it was even claimed that there were more horses in the area than people). This provided another tier of employment in jobs like stud grooms, second horsemen and numerous grooms, and of course the local blacksmith (or two).

Shops & Trades
Above left - Bunting's baker's shop, with the post office next door - part of a larger house which used to be "The Red Lion" Above right - lacemaking, which was still going on up to the 1930s, though its commercial heyday was over Below - a village blacksmith with a difference!
Above - two views of the old windmill in Greens Norton Left - the start of a local coaching firm: Ernie Wright and Arthur Basford. Arthur Basford had been an ambulance driver in the First World War. His first vehicle was a 1914-18 war ambulance, which was converted to a bus. Below - Coach reg.no. 999 DNV outside the garage near the school, and featured again as the centre coach in this 1960s view of some of the Basford fleet. In 1952 Basford's coaches were some of the first in the area to run to France .
	left - Greens Norton Brickyard, leased from the Duke of Grafton. In 1890 the tenant was G.A. King
Above - two boys on the green outside The Gate public house. Below - other Greens Norton pubs : (l) The Robin Hood (r) The Butchers Arms

Farming in the District
Above - two common scenes in the countryside - (l) bringing in the cows (r) harvesting with a reaper-binder
Field Burcote
	Field Burcote Farm This farm was one of those built in the mid-19th century by the Duke of Grafton as a "model farm." Click here for more details on the Grafton Farms Below right - milking time at Field Burcote Farm. It remains a matter for conjecture as to whether the men had been given brand new milking pails especially for the photographer!

A final view of Greens Norton c.1910