MEM23762 - Gupworthy Farm (Building)

The Tithe Map for Withiel Florey depicts a farmstead labelled "Gupworthy" at SS 9706 3489. It consists of a broadly L shaped farmhouse at SS 9704 3493 with two small outbuildings and a linear range at SS 9707 3486, with a small square building adjacent. A further possible rectangular structure is at SS 9705 3488. It is labelled 58 on the map. The accompanying Apportionment does not include land parcel 58 but does have various ones listed under Gupworthy, which includes 30, described as "House Garden and Bartons" (with land use as "Buildings"); however, the map itself shows land parcel 30 as an open field at SS 9745 3494. It therefore appears that this is the result of a mislabelled section and that 58 is the house and barton. The site was owned by George Earl of Egremont and occupied by John Vickery. [1] The farmhouse had been subject to some alterations and extension by the time the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map was surveyed and the two outbuildings adjacent to it had been demolished, with two new structures built to its south. The linear building with accompanying square building were also still depicted as extant. However, a new group of farm buildings had been constructed around SS 9704 3487, which appears to have resulted in the loss of the possible rectangular structure. This arrangement is repeated on the 2nd Edition map, save that the small square building at the south of the site had also been removed by this point and the farmhouse had been slightly reduced in size at its eastern end. [2,3] The majority of the buildings shown on the 2nd Edition map still appear to be extant; however, the L shaped range to the south of the site appears to have been demolished to make way for larger, more modern agricultural buildings. [4] The farmstead was visited in February 1997 as part of the Exmoor Farmsteads survey. The house was noted to be L shaped and rendered, and "probably ancient". A separate farmyard, open at both ends, was noted to be constructed of stone rubble to the south of the house. Two bungalows (one system builts) were also noted on the site and the southern area included a concentration of new and large sheds where the modern farming activity took place. [5]