Homes for Heroes in Surrey

As another Remembrance day passes and we mourn the loss of the last British veterans of the Great War, I am reminded of a little research I did into the Homes for Heroes and in particular the small holdings offered to returning servicemen.

Surrey small holdings

I was asked to research an area of small holdings in Surrey, which actually began before the war with the Small Holdings Act in 1908. The particular house I researched was built in 1913, less than a year before many young men went off to fight in Europe.

Surrey County Council plaque 1913

The small holdings scheme encouraged councils across the country to buy and lease land for small holdings and allotments, which allowed people to rent small plots of land for a mixture of uses, including dairy farms, orchards and growing crops. After the war, the need to get returning servicemen back into work, as well as kick-start farming and food production meant that the small holdings scheme was ideal.

After the war, this particular house and almost eight acres was occupied by Charles Machell. Mr Machell remained here until the early 1950s, alongside his son, Leslie, who fought with the 21st London regiment and had a farm nearby. After Charles Machell passed away in 1952 his grand son, Godfrey took over the house and land. Godfrey Machell eventually took over from his father and combined the two farms of his grandfather and father.

Homes for Heroes, and in particular the Small holdings scheme, offered many returning servicemen the opportunity to start a new life after their time fighting in the trenches. This particular house and farm remained in the hands of one family, for almost 80 years, who had served their King and country during the Great War.

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For a full history of these Homes for Heroes in Surrey – The History of small holdings and Lavender Cottage