MEM22304 - Stables east of White Rock Cottage, Simonsbath (Building)

A building which may originally have served as a secure store for a nearby quarry but was then used as a stables and a farm building. It was partially converted into a toilet block in the late 20th Century.

A possible former stable block, mostly constructed of stone rubble but including dressed stone, possibly originally meant for a more prestigious building. A projecting clay-bonded plinth suggests the building sits on the footprint of an earlier structure, possibly with a different function. The stables are mentioned in the estate inventory of 1833 and they are again mentioned in 1899, when their location is confirmed; architectural features may suggest the building was converted to this function and it was originally as a secure lockup, perhaps associated with the quarries nearby. The building has an unusual 19th Century asymmetric roof structure, with a shorter pitch to the west. The northern half of the building was converted into toilets in the late 20th Century, with the southern half used as a research and study centre. [1] The report [1] was revised in 2015. In addition to the information above, it suggests that although the toilet block may have been converted from a former stables, the core of the building is similar in footprint to the original core of White Rock Cottage and may have been domestic in origin. It is mostly constructed of stone rubble but includes dressed stone, possibly originally meant for a more prestigious building. It also sits on a projecting clay bonded plinths, perhaps associated with an earlier structure on the same footprint. [2] Carl Cook Rich, the village and estate blacksmith, who had previously lived at No 6 West Cottages, opposite the smithy, was running a farming business using the building from about 1930 until his death in 1944. He was then living, with his family at No 2 Jubilee Villas with the address of “White Rocks Farm”. It is not known whether he established the farming operation or if it had been running before that date. A photograph, taken in about 1970, shows the overgrown farmyard indicating that there had been no use of the building for many years. [3] When operating as a farm the building was used as follows:-The first section was a poultry house for laying hens, the next section was the milking parlour, then a calf shed, with an open ended cart shed at the end. In addition to the sheds shown in the photograph there was another quite large shed opposite the building, across the farmyard, over the stream, plus a kennel for Keep the Old English sheepdog. [4] The heritage asset was assessed for inclusion on the Exmoor Local Heritage List in February 2024. It was noted that it is one of the Scottish inspired buildings on the Knight Estate. It is of moderate distinctive design with unusual rood trusses, potential reuse of stone and distinctive single storey. It was assessed as being of high historical association with the Knight Estate. It is deemed to have moderate social communal value being a central building in Simonsbath with public use. It was decided to add the asset to the Local Heritage List. [5]