MEM23134 - Malmsmead (Place)

Malmsmead is shown on the Tithe Map of Brendon parish. The buildings appear to be in several ownerships. Most are coloured grey and are likely to have been in agricultural use but three are pink and presumably were used as dwellings. These included two buildings now amalgamated to form one property, Lorna Doone Farm (MDE7735) and a further building to its northeast, Lorna Doone Farmhouse (MEM22698). The village is simply labelled Malmsmead on the 1st and 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey maps and none of the three maps mention Lorna Doone on them. Several of the buildings shown on the Tithe Map have since been demolished but some still appear to be extant, including two buildings at SS 7914 4772 and SS 7914 4771 that had been joined together to form a small yard by the time the 1st Edition map had been surveyed, and two buildings to the northeast of the 'farmhouses', at SS 7919 4777 and SS 7920 4778. The modern MasterMap data labels the northeastern end of Malmsmead as Lorna Doone Farm, although it is not clear which buildings apparently come into the ownership of this farmstead. [1-4] The site was visited in January 1997. The buildings reviewed were the two 'farmhouses', a 19th Century farm range built of rubble with brick dressings to the west of Lorna Doone Farm and the small yard to the south, which was thought to be earlier in date and was noted to be built of rubble with tin roofs. [5]