Pleasant View

A historic place

Charles Beer purchased Pleasant View in January 1902. With his three sons Andrew, Walter and George they accepted a sharemilking position to gain farming experience supplying the Cambridge Dairy Co-op. To get to Pleasant View from the farm where they were working they would travel by horseback or bicycle as there was no road access until C.S.Beer & Sons successfully tendered to build the bridge over the stream on Victoria Road in June 1905.

By 1904 Charles Beer had prepared sufficient buildings so the family could move to their little slice of paradise. They had no income so Walter set up a blacksmith forge at Hautapu charging 4/- a set of shoes. In order to raise finance, Charles built a milking shed with a loft (where my tackroom is - the original concrete is still evident). In July 1908 it was decided to remove the blacksmith building from Hautapu and reorganise it as a workshop on the farm. The smithy knowledge played an important part in machinery repairs and horseshoeing for neighbours and themselves. One of the great innovations to come out of this blacksmith shop was the road grader which was put to good use forming Beer Road in lieu of rates payable to the Cambridge Road Board. Sand and pumice from the farm was used to form the road base. 

In 1910 Charles sold the farm to sons George and Walter. In August 1916 Walter purchased his brothers share.

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Clydesdale horses were a vital part of daily farm work. A team of 6 to 8 would be harnessed each day. Horse and manpower did the entire process of haymaking - cutting, raking, sweeping and building the stacks. Prince, Princess, Bell, Bobs, Mack, Floss and Major were members of the team.

Life at the homestead was quite primitive with few conveniences. The telephone was installed in 1920, power in 1938 but no electric stove until 1954.

The paddocks on the farm were all named rather than numbered : Mount Zion, Trafalgar Square, Sunny-Vale, The Basin, Bush Paddock, The Low Hills, Tank Paddock, The Cemetary, Five Tree Paddock, Harbutt's Paddock, Feisst's Hill, The View, Sandy Flat, Pumice Hill and Centre Hill providing amazing views to Pirongia, Maungatautari and Kakepuku which are still enjoyed and admired by riders today. Over 2000 trees have been planted over the years in wet gullies to enhance the property providing shade in summer and colour in autumn. Pukemoremore (meaning Bald Hill) provides the backdrop to Pleasant View and is an important landmark to all who live in Fencourt and surrounding districts.