MEM15404 - Silcombe Farm, Oare (Building)

A series of buildings were visible at Silcombe on the 1st and 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey maps. These structures have been modified and are still visible on the 2014 MasterMap. Earlier buildings, some possibly retained, are shown on the Tithe Map.

The farmstead is shown on the Culbone Tithe Map as a loose group of six buildings, with a farmhouse at SS 8339 4821. Most of these buildings, including the farmhouse, had been demolished by the time of the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map; the new layout of the farm included a squarer farmhouse situated at SS 8337 4822 and a group of farm buildings arranged around a yard centred at SS 8338 4817. A further outbuilding was situated to the south of the main group at SS 8339 4814. These buildings still all appear to be mostly extant, though have been subject to some alterations in the interim. [1-4] The farmstead was visited in December 1997, with the site thought to be ancient. The house was said to date to 1866 and was described as very plain with slate hanging. It is set on a hillside with the farmyard in the bottom, with a fine big 19th Century long barn at the back and three lower sides to the yard. The northwest range is thought to be the earliest and perhaps of an 18th Century date, with the rest thought to date to the same period as the farmhouse. The group was said to be excellently designed and form a complete series in model format. A 20th Century Dutch barn was also set above the site. [5] Silcombe Farm is a compact and well-preserved farmstead that demonstrates the improving influence of the Lovelace Estate and has buildings dating from the mid-1860s forming a planned layout that replaced an earlier farmstead on the site. The site consists of a farmhouse, bank barn, shippon stable and cart shed, and a shelter shed. A second barn was added in the 20th Century. [6,7] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [8]