MEM22239 - Mizpah and Oyster Perch, Porlock Weir (Building)

Set well back from the road is a mirrored cottage pair with front facing gables at each end. They probably date from c.1900 and are of an estate cottage style, typical of the period, built of stone rubble with brick dressings and segmental arch openings, under a double Roman tiled roof. [1] The houses were apparently built for two local fishermen, William and Noah Pollard, who dredged for oysters and kept them in the oyster bed on the coastline out to sea from the buildings (MSO7933). The pair also built boats. 'Mizpah' is a biblical name meaning 'watch-tower'. [2] The buildings are not visible on the 1889 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map; instead, to the plot's frontage is a lime kiln. [3] The buildings are shown on the 2nd ed. Ordnance Survey map. [4] The 2022 MasterMap data shows the buildings as a semidetached pair. They are labelled "Mizpah" (northwest) and "Oyster Perch" (southeast). [5] The buildings are mentioned in the 2022 Conservation Area Appraisal for Porlock Weir. [6] The heritage asset was assessed for inclusion on the Exmoor Local Heritage List in November 2022. It was decided to add the asset to the Local Heritage List. [7]