Butts Farm, Saxon Ave
Feltham
TW13 5LZ
Butts Farm
The Butts and Glebe Farms, comprising nearly 200 acres, were bought in 1891 by William Whiteley, who owned a large department store in Westbourne Grove, Bayswater. William Whiteley created a single model farm, which also included The Rookeries from 1894, known as The Hanworth Farms. It was apparently never profitable. He grew an extensive range of fruit and vegetables and reared pigs, cows, bees, dogs, and rabbits. He also manufactured jams, potted meats, squashes, confectionary, dishes for invalids, pickles, and sauces. All preparation and packaging took place on site and all produce was taken to market by cart. The extensive buildings even had dormitories for the workers, as well as cottages and villas for the managers.
After Whiteley’s death in 1907 the sites continued to be farmed, eventually being sold to Beach’s Jam Company of Brentford. From 1933 the farm land was gradually sold off for house building, and in the 1950’s the Borough of Twickenham bought land to build the Butts Farm council estate. As part of the improvements to Crane Park in 2011 an orchard of heritage fruit was planted in Crane Park (Hounslow) near the playground. A bench commemorating the market garden can be found on this site.
For more about the history of Butts Farm see here