A FAMILY is celebrating 100 years of farming in Worcestershire.

Christopher Bennett, a fourth generation farmer, recalled the family history - the most dramatic incident was when the farm was bombed in the war.

He said: “There was only one bomb on our farm in the war, a German plane was flying back from dropping a bomb on Coventry.”

He also recalled how Winston Churchill visited Manor Farm in 1950, welcomed by Christopher’s grandfather Stanley.

It all began when Robert Osborne Bennett, from St Ives purchased 500 acres in Lower Wick in 1891 with his wife Elisha Jane and their four children, Norman, Thomas ‘Stanley’, Hilda and Fred. The farm, Manor Farm cost £18,000.

Latest Worcester News Camera Club pictures on the theme of transition

It was initially a hops farm, then in 1925, second son Stanley bought some Ayrshire Cows.

Mr Bennett said: “They must’ve come down by train, to Shrub Hill and they must have walked all the way down through the city to Lower Wick.”

They started selling milk to the public in Worcester in1925. Bennetts became a limited company in 1929. In the 20s they started canning food and growing fruit. In 1937, Stanley took on two other farms on the Madresfield estate in Malvern, Hayswood Farm and Home farm.

In 1950, Stanley became mayor of Worcester.

The sixth generation Bennett, Finley John was born last April.

The Bennetts also have a successful ice cream brand.