MEM23250 - Sherdon Farm, Exmoor (Building)

The farmstead is shown on the 1st and 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey in a similar layout, with the buildings arranged around a central yard. The northern building is the farmhouse at SS 7901 3491, with linear buildings arranged to the east (SS 7903 3489) and west (SS 7900 3490) of the yard. The western building appears to have a horse engine house depicted on the northern end of the western elevation. Further much smaller structures are scattered to the north and east of the main farmyard. The linear buildings to the east and west of the farmyard at SS 7900 3490 became ruinous at some time after aerial photographs were taken of the site by the Royal Air Force in 1946-8. [1-5] The farmstead was visited in January 1997. The house was thought to date to the first half of the 19th Century and was noted to be unrestored, "simple and pleasant". The associated buildings were in different ownership to the house. The yard was described as irregular and rather open in front but with cobbled surfaces. A small building to the house near to the east and a free standing privy and bullshed were noted to survive but the barn and remaining buildings were noted to be unroofed and ruinous. A linhay dating from the 19th Century and having wooden posts with rubble stone walls on its gable and back elevations was noted to be sited south of the house. The farm was thought to have been established between 1816 and 1840. [6] Roger Burton appears to refer to this farmstead as Higher Sherdon. This was not a Knight farmstead and is not mentioned in the Census of 1841 but was in place by 1851. At this time, the tenant is listed as William Balmond but he was in fact living at Lower Sherdon (MEM23252); he died in 1856. One of the occupiers of Higher Sherdon at that time or shortly later was John Blake. He began his working life as a labourer but by 1871 he farmed 438 acres, of which 160 he owned. He died shortly afterwards and was succeeded by his daughter Ellen and her husband George Thomas Brook (previously of Upcott Farm, Bideford and who had rented an allotment on Long Holcombe from Frederic Knight). The Brooks farmed at Higher Sherdon until the death of Tom Brook in a riding accident in December 1937. The farmstead came into the possession of his sister Maggie, who married Frank Hill (from Burch Farm, Twitchen). Maggie retained the farm and let the grass annually, as did her granddaughter, who succeeded her. [7]