MEM23139 - Wilsham Farm, Countisbury (Building)

Wilsham is shown and labelled on the Tithe Map for Countisbury. Of the buildings shown on the Tithe Map within the farmstead area, three still appear to be extant, including the farmhouse (MDE20305), the southern wing of the L shaped building now known as Swallows Nest, and the building sited at SS 7564 4844. Another building shown was just to the west of this latter structure and joined The Old Farm House (MDE21336) to the north; this was depicted on the 1st and 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey maps. Two other buildings, at SS 7564 4843 and SS 7560 4844, had apparently been demolished before the 1st Edition map was surveyed. It was by this time that Swallows Nest had had an extension built on its eastern end that extended to the north. The 1st and 2nd Edition maps both show this extension featuring a round structure on its eastern elevation that presumably functioned as a horse engine house; this has since been removed. Three other outbuildings are shown on these maps that have also been removed since, at SS 7562 4845, SS 7560 4844 and SS 7567 4840. Finally, at some point after the 2nd Edition map was surveyed, a further building has been constructed at SS 7561 4842 and this is still extant. [1-4] The farmstead was visited in January 1997 and was said to comprise three houses, one large (Wilsham Farm, MDE20305) and much altered. A small yard of a big barn and lower range separate to the large house was noted to the south, with the barn converted into Swallows Nest. The farmhouse was also noted to have 20th Century blockwork buildings around it. [5] The historic and current land ownership of the site is not clear but the Old Farm House to the north appears to currently be under separate ownership and so has not been included in the GIS mapping of this record. Further confirmation is required as to whether it was originally part of this farmstead. [6]