MSO7746 - Withycombe Farmstead, Oare (Monument)

The site of Withycombe Farmstead is shown as the "ruins of a house" on the Tithe Map of 1842. It is now visible as a complex group of platforms, banks, retaining walls, hollow ways and the remains of two rectangular stone buildings.

Good example of a deserted farmstead, of a class which may have been in existence in the 15th and 16th centuries, with earthworks and remains of stone buildings, at Withycombe, Oare, SS 808 462. [1] (SS 80784617). Withycombe (In Ruins) (NAT) (no coherent plan). [2] (SS 807461) Withycombe (NAT) [3] SS 808462. Deserted medieval farmstead of Withycombe, indicated in the 1327 Lay Subsidy (in Porlock parish) by the entry of William Wydecombe. A 48 acre estate with the 'ruins of a house' at the farm is shown on 1842 Tithe Map [5]. The site lies on a terraced platform on the east side of a hill overlooking a stream, and a complex group of platforms, banks, retaining walls, hollow ways and the remains of two rectangular stone buildings have been recorded by McDonnell. The building foundations are aligned along a track descending northwards in a hollow way and linking the site to a field system recorded from aerial photographs to the south on Withycombe Allotment. (Although Aston links this site with the entry of William Wydecombe in the 1327 Lay Subsidy, there is another site named Withycombe on Ordnance Survey 1 inch 1809 at SS 830 479, but not shown on Ordnance Survey 1:10000 1975 map). [4-7] Additional Bibliography. [8,9] SS 8080 4260 The remains of a deserted farmstead, levelled into a stepp slope at about 300 metres above Ordnance Datum. It is located on the eastern side of a north to south hollow way track and overlooking withy Combe to the immediate east. From the site there are excellent views due east up the valley of the Weir Water to Robber's Bridge and beyond also northwards down its extension the Oare Water Valley. The remains, depicted on the 25 inch 1st Edition Ordnance Survey [2] as two open rectangular yards annotated Withycombe (in ruins) are now in an extremely poor condition. The yard walls are 1 metre thick and about 1 metre in maximum height and are now spread to about 4 metres in places, they are mainly evident as much robbed turf and tree covered stony scarps. The northern yard is about 10 metres north to south by 3 metres between wall centres. Its western wall, abutting the track and its northern gable wall, have been almost completely robbed out leaving only a faint scarp. An internal subdividing wall is evident about 3 metres from the northern gable and a lowering, near central to the east wall, suggests an entrance. A large rectangular stone, 0.9 metres by 0.3 metres by 0.2 metres laid in the interior to the north of this entrance may be a possible door jamb. Some 6 metres to the south, the second yard 9.5 metres by 3.5 metres between wall centres, is in a similar condition. There is a possible entrance at the west end of the north wall which opens onto an annexe about 5 metres long. It is now difficult to tell the original state of these structures, whether they were both buildings or not, but it is probable that they were and the northern one was the main farmhouse. To the east of the yards is a levelled area about 30 metres north to south by 11 metres with remains of two smaller platforms at its southern end, obviously on the working area or farmyard. Opposite the northern yard on the west side of the track is an apparent open ended turning bay, about 12 metres by 6 metres formed by earth and stone banks. The field system allegedly associated with this farmstead lies along the east facing slopes of Withycombe Allotment from about SS 805 464 southwards to SS 806 455. It was seen by McDonnell on aerial photographs [10-12]. Although not visited, it appears in shape and form to be similar to that along the Chalk Water about 1 kilometre to the east (MMO657). [2,10-13] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [14]