MEM25601 - The Old Slaughterhouse, Bossington (Building)

The Old Slaughterhouse is part of a group of post medieval farm buildings associated with a farm once located in the centre of Bossington village which was destroyed by 1889, possibly by fire. [1] Other buildings in the group are MEM22142 and MEM22143, both recorded as barns. The Old Slaughterhouse is located slightly apart from the other buildings in the group, centred on SS 89773 47928 to the north east, close to Kitnor's (MSO10715). The building is visible on 2022 Mastermap data [2]. The building is rectangular in shape, single cell in form, with a gable ended roof formed of double Roman tile. The walls are formed of local water worn rounded stone, with brick quoins and jambs. It is thought to date to the late 19th century, and was possibly originally used as a cowshed before taking on a role as an abbatoir and later a deer culling hut. [3] The latter building type are known from other 19th century estates in the south west, with one example at Castle Drogo [4], but they are relatively unknown on Exmoor. The deer culling huts were often used for hanging carcasses after the deer had been shot and transported down from the moor, rather than as sites of direct slaughter. Butchery and evisceration of the carcasses would follow. It is possible that during the building's tenure as a cattle shed it may also have been used for starving livestock immediately before slaughter. This use would fit with the relatively small size of the building compared with other elements of the farm buildings on and around the site as it would be inhabited for only short periods of time. Two other slaughterhouses are recorded on Exmoor, both in Dulverton, associated with particular butcher's shops, (MEM21995 and MEM21996).