Start Here: The Great House Farm Dispute

What Happened

The Williams family acquired Great House Farm in 1667 and occupied it continuously for over three centuries. In 1974, BP sent unilateral "Licence to Occupy" letters addressed to "Mrs Buckler" — a name Mary Williams never used. This licence was later used by the courts to defeat the family's adverse possession claim. In 1987, the Court of Appeal granted BP possession. In 1988, Great House Farm was demolished by BP Properties Ltd amid considerable local controversy.

Why It Matters

• Ownership was never determined — Courts ruled on possession without ever adjudicating who actually owned the land
• Identity substitution — Mary Williams was referred to as "Mrs Buckler" in legal documents despite never adopting that name
• Missing evidence — Title deeds were reportedly removed from Cardiff Library in 1984
• Archaeological suppression — A Roman soldier discovery in 1870 was ignored; the 1994 excavation later found over 800 burials
• Judicial contradiction — The court said BP companies were "different" and "same" depending on which argument helped BP

What Evidence Exists

What Questions Remain

• Who actually owned Great House Farm in 1987?
• Where are the original title deeds removed from Cardiff Library in 1984?
• Why did the court avoid determining ownership?
• Was the "Mrs Buckler" identity substitution deliberate fraud?
• Why was the 1916 tenancy agreement never produced?
• What role did Frederick Buckler's secret dealings play?
• Why was Cadw's emergency listing process stalled?

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Estimated reparations claim (Feb 2026): £101.2 million and counting.