Following the purchase of Osborne House in 1845, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert acquired several neighbouring farms, including Barton Manor Farm, which eventually increased the size of the estate to more than 2600 acres. The Prince was keenly interested in new farming methods and set about developing the estate to its full advantage. A new range of farm buildings included stalls for the thirteen horses, mostly Clydesdales, which worked on the estate in teams. A prize winning stallion was kept there at stud.