MEM23738 - Weatherslade Farm, Withypool (Building)

A group of buildings is shown on the Withypool Tithe Map at SS 8483 3626. This includes a larger agricultural building to the north at SS 8483 3627 and a domestic building abutting this on the southeastern end at SS 8483 3626. There are small enclosures on the western, southern and eastern sides of the buildings. The group falls under land parcels 138 (southern enclosure) and 139 (remainder), which the accompanying Apportionment describes as "The Garden" and "House and Barton" respectively. The buildings are leased by William Quartley under Thomas Bailey and occupied by Thomas Baker and William Quartley. [1] By the time the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map was surveyed, it appears that a new farmhouse had been added to the site at SS 8485 3626. It seems that the old house must have passed into agricultural use and the entire group of original buildings appears to have been subject to some alterations, including additional structures to the northern end and a circular open structure abutting the eastern side at SS 8484 3627, which may or may not have been a horse engine house. Two further structures had also been built at SS 8481 3628 and SS 8482 3629, the latter being much smaller than the former. By the time the 2nd Edition map was surveyed, a further building was added to the site at SS 8485 3629 but the possible engine house appears to have been removed by this point. This arrangement is largely in place on the modern MasterMap data, with some small alterations and extensions in places. [2-4] The site was visited in February 1997 as part of the Exmoor Farmsteads survey. The main farmhouse was described as 19th Century and unrestored and was thought to be resited. A barn was noted at right angles to the house, forming a yard on its lower, far side with a smaller building opposite. All the buildings were built of slate and rubble stone. A later description of the yard noted that the eastern building is "a very ancient and perfect rubble building with raised cobbling in front". Many of the buildings were thought to be little altered. The whole was described as "a very rare and precious unrestored group of considerable archaeological interest". [5] The site was surveyed in 1999-2000 by RCHME or English Heritage. [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] A photograph of the metal centre of the horse gear taken by Derrick Warren in 1975 or earlier is held in the collection of the Somerset Industrial Archaeology Society. [9,10]