Subject: Re: Reading Room request From: Sion Buckler Direction: sent Date: Thu, 20 Aug 2026 06:50 UTC Institution: BP Refs: none Archive id: gm-1a01defc69b6c0b4 ------------------------------------------------------------ Bethany, Thank you for your reply. I understand that the BP Archive contains material up to the end of 1954, but that post-1954 material is currently unavailable for external access. My original enquiry did include the later BP acquisition, litigation and registration records, so I understand that those parts of my request cannot currently be accessed. I would therefore like to clarify what *pre-1955 material concerning Great House Farm / Ty Mawr* is held within the accessible BP Archive. The reason this is particularly relevant is that Great House Farm was subsequently acquired by *BP Pension Trust Ltd from Western Ground Rents in 1969*, and became the subject of *BP Properties Ltd v Buckler [1987] EWCA Civ 2*. I am researching the underlying root of title and the history of the family's occupation before *2 February 1955*, which is a critical date in the subsequent dispute. Could you please search the pre-1955 BP Archive holdings for Great House Farm / Ty Mawr, Llandough, including references under: - Great House Farm / Great House / Ty Mawr - Llandough - Western Ground Rents Ltd - Mountjoy Ltd - Bute Estate / Llandough Estate - Williams - Buckler In particular, I am looking for any surviving copies or references to: - the *1916 yearly tenancy agreement* between the Bute Estate and John Williams; - the *1924 Llandough Estate sale particulars — DSA/6/701*; - the *1938 Great House Farm auction particulars — GD/LA/15/255 and DSA/6/1158*; - the *1938 conveyance from Mountjoy Ltd to Western Ground Rents*; - the *1949 agreement or correspondence* concerning Frederick Buckler and Mary Williams taking over the occupation; - the *1953 judgment concerning rent arrears* at Great House Farm; and - any *notice to quit issued before 2 February 1955*. I would also be interested in any pre-1955 *plans, title descriptions, schedules of deeds, abstracts of title or other records* showing how the farmhouse, garden, farmyard, cottages and agricultural land were described or treated. I appreciate that some of these documents may have originated with the Bute Estate, Mountjoy or Western Ground Rents rather than BP itself. What I am trying to establish is whether any such historical material is present within the BP Archive, or whether the BP Archive has catalogue references identifying material which may have subsequently formed part of the title history of the property. If the answer is that the BP Archive contains *no pre-1955 material relating to Great House Farm / Ty Mawr*, I would be grateful if you could confirm that explicitly. If you can identify relevant catalogue references even where the underlying document is not held, those references would also be very useful. Thank you again for your assistance. Regards, Sion Buckler (Ret'd Sergeant) Royal Signals Cyber and Electronic Warfare Professional and Life Member On Wed, 19 Aug 2026, 08:06 BP Archive, <[email redacted]> wrote: > Dear Sion, > > > > Thank you for your interest in BP and our archived records. The materials > available are from the organisation’s early beginnings up to the end of > 1954. Unfortunately, due to the increasing complexity, resource > implications of reviewing and recording, and dealing with external access > requests, access to post-1954 materials held in the BP Archive is not > available. > > > > Please let me know if you are still interested in accessing any pre-1955 > materials for your research. > > > > Kind regards, > > > > *Bethany Jones * > > archive assistant > > bp archive > > > > Tel: [phone redacted] > > [email redacted] > > > > BP International Limited. Registered office: Chertsey Road, Sunbury on > Thames, Middlesex, [postcode redacted]. Registered in England and Wales, number 542515. > > > > > > *The information in this e-mail is confidential and may be legally > privileged. It is intended solely for the addressee(s) only. Access to this > e-mail by anyone else is unauthorised. If you are not the intended > recipient, any disclosure, copying, distribution or an action taken or > omitted to be taken in reliance on it, is prohibited and may be unlawful. > Within the bounds of the law, electronic transmissions through internal and > external networks may be monitored to ensure compliance with internal > policies and legitimate business purposes.* > > > > *From:* Sion Buckler <[email redacted]> > *Sent:* 15 August 2026 22:03 > *To:* BP Archive <[email redacted]> > *Subject:* Reading Room request > > > > You don't often get email from [email redacted]. Learn why this > is important > > BP Archive Team, > > I am writing to enquire about records held within the BP corporate archive > relating to the former Great House Farm / Ty Mawr property at Llandough, > near Penarth, Glamorgan, South Wales. > > I am conducting historical and legal research into the property, which was > acquired by BP Pension Trust Ltd in December 1969 and subsequently > administered by BP Properties Ltd. The property was the subject of > extensive litigation, including BP Properties Ltd v Buckler [1987] EWCA Civ > 2, followed by the eviction of the occupying family in 1988 and demolition > of the farmhouse later that year. > Research context > > The central issue of my research is the identification of the individual > parcels comprising the historic property. > > The evidence currently being examined indicates that the historic complex > may have comprised separately identifiable: > > - a house-and-garden plot; > - a western agricultural/farm plot containing the barn, stables and > courtyard; and > - an eastern cottages plot. > > Later mapping and Land Registry records appear to have treated some of > these areas as a combined property. > > I am therefore particularly interested in establishing *what BP itself > understood the boundaries and constituent parcels of the property to be*, > and when any change or consolidation of those parcels occurred. > Records sought > > I would be grateful if the BP Archive could search its holdings for > records concerning: > > - BP Properties Ltd; > - BP Pension Trust Ltd; > - British Petroleum and relevant predecessor/subsidiary property > records; > - Great House Farm / Great House / Ty Mawr, Llandough; > - Llandough-juxta-Penarth / Cogan / Penarth; > - the Williams and Buckler families; > - possession proceedings and enforcement, particularly 1955, 1962 and > 1974–1988; > - property acquisition, title investigation and disposal; > - conveyances, title deeds, abstracts of title and schedules of deeds; > - estate-management correspondence; > - property, site and boundary plans; > - Land Registry correspondence and registration, particularly > 1982–1983. > > The relevant period is approximately *1955–1988*, with particular > emphasis on *1962–1983*. > Three priority categories > > If relevant material survives, I would particularly like to identify the > following, in this order: > > *1. The BP Properties Ltd / BP Pension Trust Ltd property file for Great > House Farm / Ty Mawr, Llandough* > > In particular, any acquisition/title file containing the original property > description, conveyances, title investigation, schedules of deeds, property > plans, boundary plans or correspondence identifying exactly which land and > buildings BP considered to form the property. > > *2. The legal/property file relating to the 1962 possession proceedings > and subsequent enforcement/re-entry* > > In particular, any BP legal correspondence, instructions to solicitors, > plans, property descriptions or internal documents identifying the land and > buildings to which the possession order was understood to apply. > > *3. The 1982–1983 title/registration/consolidation file* > > In particular, correspondence, plans, conveyances, title investigation and > Land Registry material concerning the registration or amalgamation of the > relevant parcels, including any documentation showing how the > house-and-garden, eastern cottages and western farm/barn/stables/courtyard > areas were treated. > > If these exact files do not survive, I would be very grateful for the > nearest surviving files, alternative references or catalogue entries > covering the same transactions. > Access > > I would also appreciate advice on: > > - whether the relevant records are available for public research; > - whether they can be viewed in person at the BP Archive at the > University of Warwick; > - whether advance appointment or reader registration is required; > - whether particular records require advance retrieval; > - whether copies or digital reproductions can be ordered; and > - whether any relevant records are subject to closure or other access > restrictions. > > I am happy to provide further information, including the relevant court > case reference, property names, dates and Land Registry title numbers, if > this would assist the archivist in identifying the records. > Research purpose > > I am particularly interested in *contemporary BP documentation rather > than later summaries*, because the central research question is what BP > itself understood the property's legal identity, boundaries and constituent > parcels to be at the relevant dates. > > Thank you very much for any assistance you can provide. > > Yours sincerely, > > Sion Buckler >