MDE20421 - Lower Fyldon Farm (Building)

The current site is made up of at least two historic farms, with the northern one surviving more completely than the southeastern one. A further group of buildings to the southwest have also been demolished.

The farmstead was built on the site of a medieval farmstead mentioned in the 1332 Lay Subsidy. House was demolished in the 17th Century and rebuilt on the same site. [1] Flydon is first mentioned in the Lay Subsidy rolls of 1330 as "Felledon" and then in 1333 as "Filedene". [2] The farmstead is shown on the Tithe Map for North Molton as a large collection of buildings, mainly focused around a yard at SS 7384 3373 and another group at SS 7389 3368, with a further building depicted at SS 7383 3362. While many of the buildings in the northern area of the complex may still be extant (including the farmhouse MDE21280), much of the site to the southeast appears to have been cleared in the 20th Century to make way for newer farm buildings, although some of a northern range shown at c. SS 7388 3369 may have been partially incorporated into later buildings in this area. A well is also marked in this area on the 1st and 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey maps. The southwestern area was enlarged by the time the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map was surveyed, with further buildings constructed around the bend in the road at SS 7383 3364, but the area has been completely cleared since the 2nd Edition map was surveyed. [3-6] The farmstead was visited in January 1997. It was said to be two ancient farmstead, based around two old houses. The main farmhouse was said to be regular, large and prominent, probably dating from the 19th Century. The old house is attached to the structure at the east end. Behind it is a good range of rubble buildings, perhaps dating to the 18th or 19th Century, and others thought to be of a late 19th Century date. In the valley bottom the second yard was described as mostly ad hoc 20th Century structures, with one shed in the north range thought to be the remnant of an ancient house with a chimney breast. A large green 20th Century shed was noted behind this. [7]