MSO7697 - Nettlecombe deserted village (Monument)

ST 056377. There are persistent traditions of a village being removed in the 16th century when the house, Nettlecombe Court, and its grounds were developed. Its possible that there was formerly a hamlet by the church. [1] Nettlecombe village and its associated green lay near the church and manor house in a sheltered valley on the eastern side of the parish, but its precise site has not been located. The village was removed in the course of improvements to the park (MSO11455): the poorhouse was replaced by one at Woodford c. 1780, exchanges of glebe were made in 1790 and the former rectory house was pulled down c.1797. The village had been completely removed by 1800, the tenants thereafter living mostly in the estate village of Woodford, or elsewhere in the parish. [2-8] There appears to be no field evidence for this village, which was presumably removed and levelled when the park improvements were made. In the southern part of the park, centred at ST 055 374, are the remains of a field system. Pollarded oaks of some considerable age grow on these field boundaries. [9] The Day and Masters map of 1782 shows buildings either side of a road leading from the church and court to the south centred at ST 05635 37530. This is approximately along the current path to Parsonage Pond [7, 10,11] Prior to Domesday, Nettlecombe parish was held by Godwin, son of Earl Harold. It was described in the Domesday survey as being held for the King, with a Knight's fee - "it paid tax for 2 hides and 3 virgates of land. Land for 12 ploughs, of which 1 1/2 virgates are in lordship; 2 ploughs there; 3 slaves 15 villagers and 4 small holders with 7 ploughs and 1 1/2 hides and 1 virgate. Meadow, 6 acres; pasture, 20 acres; woodland, 10 acres. 4 cattle; 50 sheep." Nettlecombe was granted by the King to Hugh de Ralegh in c.1160 and the Court was inherited by the Trevelyans in the 1440s. The Day and Masters map shows the cottages of Nettlecombe village to the south of the Court, removed by landscaping at the end of the 18th Century. [12] This monument was previously mapped around the area of the church and court but has been edited to reflect the evidence presented above by the Day and Masters map. [13] An update was undertaken for the Parkland Plan published in 2003 (see [5]). This included newly incorporated historic mapping and documentary evidence and research and restoration work on the landscape, as well as the results of a walkover survey undertaken in April 2015. The Great Park had been created by 1755 (possibly in c.1734). The stable block, erected in 1792 by John Trevelyan, was plotted together with Combe (MSO10503), built as the new parsonage following the removal of the village of Nettlecombe from the valley. The inhabitants of the cottages in Old Nettlecombe were rehoused at Woodford Cottages (MSO10507), north of the park, dated 1824, 1852 and 1865, and implying a delay between the landscaping and the provision of new accommodation for the villagers. [14] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [15]