About Edward Oatley and Paxcroft Farm

Edward Oatley started farming part-time after World War I having served in the Lifeguards through that war.

By the early 1920's he was full-time dairy farming and poultry breeding. In 1924 he won his first gold medals in county and national laying trials - the measure of excellence in laying poultry at that time.

By the 1930's the commercial poultry breeding business was well established with poultry and chick production rising rapidly to the outbreak of World War II in 1939.

In 1947 the farming business moved to nearby Paxcroft Farm, starting a pedigree Friesian dairy herd, soon to become a leading herd in the county, and raising chick production to over 500,000 annually.

The 1960's saw major changes in the poultry industry with the introduction of Hybrid layers from multinational organization.

This became the pattern for many decades - integrating livestock and egg production with home produced cereals via high quality farm mixed feeds, and using organic manures to maintain healthy and productive soils; with a good agricultural balance.

In recent times the farm has continued to evolve and respond to changing demands and the political landscape. This has resulted in a shift in focus to providing a greater range of commercial real estate units, focusing more closely on the demands of local business for high quality, well maintained and managed locations in which to run their businesses.