Testimony — Branwen Buckler
Page type: Testimony · Person: Branwen Buckler · Version: 1.0.0 (19 Oct 2026) · Editing Protocol
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Branwen Buckler, wife of William “Billy” Buckler, lived at Great House Farm until the eviction of 1988. This page lists only her own recorded words.
Recorded statements (4)
| Date | Record | What it says | Source / ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Nov 1988 | ITV Cymru Wales report (eviction, possession enforcement and injunction): interview | Shown in a sling. The wiki’s viewing notes say she is presented as saying she had obtained a small victory through the injunction and hoped the judge would uphold it at the Friday hearing. A verbatim transcript is not yet on the wiki. | GHF-E113 |
| c.7 Dec 1988 | “Tears flow as 800 year-old farm house is razed at last” (press quote) | She said the family were “absolutely devastated”. “Great House Farm was more than just a house, it was the family history with all the people who have been born or died there over the last 400 years. It is irreplaceable,” “Now we are left with no home, no plans, no income and no Christmas.” | GHF-E090-N11 |
| Sep 2026 | Her recollection of the 1988 removal, given in a family discussion (recorded by this wiki; not signed or sworn; no verbatim transcript yet) | She went to the house to get medicine; the men who detained her appeared to be soldiers; she was dragged by her arms, kicked and thrown over the gated entrance; she was pregnant; her shoulder was dislocated. | GHF-E114 · EV-0165 |
| 19 Oct 2026 (relayed) | Voice testimony, relayed by Sion Buckler (not signed or sworn; no verbatim transcript yet) | The water was cut off to the farm while it was a dairy farm, and cattle drowned in the River Ely trying to reach water. Nancy said no bills were outstanding. Aunt Mary, born in the 1950s, was “farmed out” as a baby. The matter was “discussed in Parliament”. “Cardiff Urban District Council” was named as the water authority. Note: she lived at the farm until 1988, so the 1950s part may be second-hand. The 1958 press report gives Mrs Buckler’s claim that the water was cut off “for nearly 10 years by order of Western Ground Rents” (EV-0037). No Cardiff UDC existed (Llandough was in Penarth UDC), and no Parliamentary record of the water has been found (see Kissed Frogs register, SC-48). | EV-0037 · SC-48 |
Notes
- To make this usable in court, the Sep 2026 recollection should be written down and signed as a witness statement.