This farm is situated on the north-west bank of the River Ouse and east of the A 422. The farmhouse has immediate access to the main road. The river valley here is below 200 feet but the farm lands rise sharply towards the north-west and the highest ground must be a little above 300 feet. This slope gives a good pasture facing south and easy access to river water.
The approximate size of the farm is 150 acres. It is privately owned but worked by a manager-occupier, and it is mainly devoted to dairy farming. Some of the higher land is used for arable farming. Wheat and oats were grown in 1959, but farm machinery for this purpose is not up-to-date. The harvest was reaped and stooked, not a usual sight today. A few sheep are kept on the poorer grass and there are chickens kept in batteries.
The dairy herd totals 45 Jerseys, 20 of which are in milk. Jerseys give less milk than other breeds but the Milk Marketing Board pays a higher price for their milk. The average weekly production figure is 200 gallons. A bull is kept and heifer calves are bred for replacement. A cow is profitable for the period of 5 lactations. There are two male employees on this farm, and milking is done by a 'Gascoigne' machine. Additional feeding stuffs are purchased for winter use. The cows graze in those fields which actually border the river and upon the slope. Floods present some difficulty over the lower land. The drought of this Summer has resulted in a shortage of grass but even so this farm cannot have suffered so severely as some others that I know. Twitch grass is also a problem and steps have been taken to improve the quality of some fields but I do not know how successful this has been.
Although this farm is one of many of a similar kind within the area it is not so usual to find one which specialises entirely in Jerseys.
Additional Notes:
Bridge farm has now been largely swallowed by Manor Farm. The farmhouse is now a private dwelling, named Bridge House. The driveway sweeps round to the rear of the cluster of buildings by Sherington Bridge, where the house stands, close by the river. A new "Farmhouse" has been built on the land, adjacent to the remainder of the farm buildings and the small parcel of land still attached to the farm. Most of the farm buildings, some quite dilapidated, now house small industries, car repairs, welding shop, etc.
The article above is taken from Memories of Sherington by Doris Stephens, c1969, SHS.