For centuries, the Estate Yard was a thriving hub of activity and sits on the site of what was once, it is believed, the farmyard of Chantry Farm.
The buildings we see today date primarily from the middle of the 19th century to the early 21st, and their most notable ‘occupants’ are a boiler, two steam engines and the timber saws they used to power.
Indeed, the Boiler House, chimney, sawmill and joiner’s shop in the yard are Grade II listed, and form part of the history of the Englefield Estate and the generations of people who have lived and worked here.
The Estate Yard is also home to a horse-drawn fire engine which was bought by the Estate in 1894. Its last known “shout” was in 1940 when it was called out to tackle incendiary bombs dropped on the Estate.
Historically, much of the work undertaken in the yard was linked to the Estate’s forestry activity, and the yard housed a steam-driven sawmill.
Today, two steam engines and a boiler remain. The boiler drove the steam engines which then powered the saws used to cut timber. The older engine dates from 1863. The boiler and the later engine both date from 1900. The boiler, having been cared for by a dedicated team of volunteers for many years, is now out of action, having failed a safety inspection.
The sawmill was converted to electricity in the 1940s and an electric saw supplied by Stenner in 1941 remains in situ but can no longer be used for safety reasons.
It is our intention to preserve the steam boiler and its engine in situ within the new Estate Office building while, at the same time, making them more accessible than at present, meaning more people can see and enjoy them and understand more about the Estate Yard’s working heritage.
