Alongside the industrial activities in Dale which we have looked at in the last chapter there has always been agriculture. The land here has been described as ‘poorly drained, fine-textured soils, under moderate quality permanent grass’, and the soil as ‘a heavy keuper marl’. Surveys in 1801 showed that oats and barley and turnips were the main crop; in the 1840s there was mixed farming, with a fair portion of arable land; and in 1846 and 1899 the area comprised 1760 acres, partly clay, sand and marl

The record of 1846 reveals that there were a number of farmers in the area: William Canner, farming at Locko Grange, Ann Chandler, farming at Hagg Farm, John Deverell, a farmer, John Draycott at Stanley Grange, Thomas Hancock at Boyah Grange, William Hollingworth, Richard Ling at Burntwood, Joseph Moorley at Little Hay Grange, Samuel Morrell, Miss Elizabeth Shepherdson at Domes hill (presumably the current Dunns Hill), James Smith, Hannah Stevens at Boyah Grange, Joseph Stevens at Locko Grange, William Walker at Hagg Farm, John Winrow at Furnace Ponds, and William Winrow.

The record of 1857 tells us that of the farmers, Canner, Hancock, Hollingworth, Ling, Walker, John Winrow at Furnace Ponds were still in business. In addition there was Samuel Bacon, Samuel Beeston at Upper Hagg Farm, David Cotton, who was also a corn miller, Zacariah Hartshorn, William Malin, John Smedley at Little Hay Grange, William Sneap at the Cat and Fiddle, who was also a joiner, Sarah Spencer at the Flourish, John Stevens at Boyah Grange, Thomas Winfield, Isaac and John Winrow, the latter at Basset Barn, James Wood, who was also parish clerk, and Joseph Wright at the Cat and Fiddle.

In the 20th century, most of the farms were owned by the Stanton Pension Fund and administered by agents Strutt and Parker. In 1955 the records tell us there were 26 farms and smallholdings of five to 200 acres and that all were tenant farms except Lowes Lane and Sowbrook Farms. They mostly supplied the works canteens. There was also a pinfold (at the end of the ‘Institute’, now a private house opposite Poplar Farm) in Dale, and Miss Hollingworth remembered lots of Shire horses and water shortages; people used to fetch water from Furnace Pond in the dry season for their cows. A note from 1969 tells us most of the land at Dale was under grass, but there were two poultry farms, one run by Harvey Cross and one by the Smedley family. A Mr Lyneham used to grow gooseberries in a field on the other side of the lane from Abbey House. Ashtree Farm on the north edge of Dale was farmed by Joe Wright, who also worked the Cat and Fiddle Mill; the farm was empty for some years, then farmed by the family of Christine, wife of Harvey Cross. Bartlewood Farm was run by Miss Hollingworth’s father. There were four allotments above Thelgarth.