MDE20853 - Shilstone Farm, Brendon (Building)

Shilstone appears on Mudge's map of Devon dating from 1809. The name possibly indicates a Cromlech and history of the branches of the Shilston family. [1] The farmstead is shown on the Brendon Tithe Map and labelled Shilston. At this time, the site included a large farmhouse with two large associated (presumably farm) buildings on the eastern side of the site, with two cottages with associated outbuildings on the western side of the site. The northernmost of these cottages and its associated outbuilding appears to have been removed by the time the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map was surveyed, to be replaced by the building now known as Shilstone Cottage, and the southern one enlarged or rebuilt to form Southern Cottage. One of the large buildings associated with the farmhouse, at SS 7611 4688, had also been removed by this time and some new structures built between the farmhouse and the remaining range at SS 7611 4692. Since the 2nd Edition map was published, one further building has been constructed at SS76124692 and some of the remaining buildings have been subject to small alterations or additions. [2-5] The farmstead was visited in January 1997. The house was thought to be c.1870 in date with older parts, end on to the farmyard. The farm buildings were noted to be packed in along the edge of a valley, with a very small yard against a tall 19th Century bank barn with brick arches and two buttresses. A steep mono pitch in front contains the yard. A long range of earlier, possibly 18th Century buildings were also noted. A large scale 20th Century tin Dutch barn was noted at the rear of the group. [6]