NHER 51820 (Building record) - Jex Farm, Thursford Road

August 2008. Building Survey.
Building recording undertaken at Jex's Farm prior to proposed conversion of outbuildings.
The farm is shown on both the Tithe Award map and the first edition Ordnance Survey map. The outbuildings extend a single bay from the farmhouse, and is now subdivided. The east wall is constructed of brick below a dentiled cornice. At the south end is an arched opening leading to a cross passage against the farmhouse gable wall. To the north is hatch set in the upper walling with wooden doors that open outwards. The west wall projects to the west with a brick half- gable. The walling is of flint. The section to the north is divided into a garage and a barn by a brick wall. Some late 18th/ early 19th century brickwork survives in the barn. A range of cattle sheds runs east- west from the north-south range and is of flint and brick. The cattleshed incorporates a mid- 17th century garden wall containing reused medieval brick and a number of pieces of limestone. One brick bears an incised mark which has been interpreted as reading '1643'. The majority of the structure dates from the second half of the 19th century.
See report (S1) for further details.
H. White (NLA), 6 February 2009.

Jex's farm was the original site for the Norfolk Agricultural Station, an experimental farm where new methods, crops and machinery were trialed and tested for viability. The site was managed by a committee of local farmers and members of the Ministry of Agriculture, Cambridge University, the Royal Agricultural Society of England and Norfolk County Council. The station was based at this farm from 1908 to 1920 after which it moved to St. Faiths (NHER 43945).
NIAS records (S2)
W. Arnold (HES), 26 January 2011.