MDE20422 - Higher Fyldon Farm (Building)

Higher Fyldon was built on the site of a medieval farmstead mentioned in the 1332 Lay Subsidy. [1] Flydon is first mentioned in the Lay Subsidy rolls of 1330 as "Felledon" and then in 1333 as "Filedene". [2] The farmstead is shown on the Tithe Map for North Molton. Several of the buildings to the east of the site still appear to be extant but those to the west have been demolished after the 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey map was published. A new farmhouse and several other ranges of buildings were constructed in the centre of the site between the dates that the Tithe Map and 1st Edition map were surveyed, most of which still appear to be extant. [3-6] The farmstead was visited in January 1997 and was described as "clearly an ancient farmstead… Interesting and attractive". The house was described as a long shaped 19thCentury building, half rendered and half rubble. Above the house to the east is an irregular cobbled yard of small scale rubble buildings, then used to house chickens. To the west of the house is a three sided yard of "very decent and pleasant" farm buildings, used for horses. A 20th Century yard and farm buildings were on the end of the site to the west. [7]