Three generations link with Bone Hill Farm

Believing that farming abroad offers greater scope and is less hampered by restrictions, Mr Eric Withecombe, of Bone Hill Farm, Northam, is selling the whole of his farming stock and later this month sets sail for Tasmania with his wife and child.

Two of his brothers, Bruce and Vernon, are already in Tasmania and are looking forward to welcoming their brother and his family to a new life.

Bone Hill Farm has been in the Withecombe family for three generations. Eric’s grandfather first farmed there and was followed by his son, the late Mr W E Withecombe, who carried on the farm until the end of the recent war. There will still be Withecombes at Bone Hill, however, for Colin, the youngest of the family, will now run the farm.

An Old Boy of West Buckland School, Eric, like his four brothers, Frank, Bruce, Vernon and Colin, is well known in the district. The five brothers are keen sportsmen and have all, at one time or another, been playing members of Bideford Rugby Football Club.

During the recent war, Eric was commissioned in the Royal Artillery and was at Arnhem with the Airborne forces.

In the six years he farmed at Bone Hill, he has built up a fine herd of 65 attested milk recorded Ayrshires. The herd was established in 1948 from selected animals, mostly from Scotland, and is now one of the highest yielding Ayrshire herds in the county. In addition to the dairy herd, 70 sheep and a collection of agricultural implements and machinery will be offered at the dispersal sale.

3 October 1952