Promoting awareness of the archaeology and history
of north Devon
ACTIVITIES
WEST YEO
Archaeology Projects (external)
VISIT TO WEST YEO FARM, WITHERIDGE , 5 APRIL 2009 - contact Derry Bryant
Report on the first weeks investigation - Link
Report on the second week of investigation - Link
Report for investigations up to December 2009 - Link
On Sunday 5 April, 9 members met at West Yeo Farm, Witheridge for a guided walk and talk by the owner, Kate Palmer. West Yeo was a manor recorded in the Domesday Book as supporting 5 families. Originally called Ratdown (Red Down), by 1283 it had become West Yeo (“West of the water”). The original medieval cob and stone longhouse was destroyed by fire around 1870, when the farm was bought and rebuilt by the Cocks family, the stone coming from a quarry on the farm. The remains of the original farmhouse lie underground in front of the ‘new’ house. All that remains visibly is a small cobbled surface, now used as a patio.
Many of the field names have not changed since the Tithe Map of 1840 and earlier: Lake Park, Long Park, New Close, Higher and Lower Tunbridge.
Kate Palmer bought the farm in 2000 and is restoring many of the historic features back to the 1850 map, putting back hedges, rebuilding dry stone walls etc under a Countryside Stewardship Scheme, which helps pay for this restoration. 3 orchards have been re-established, and it is hoped to restore the old stone farm buildings. Kate believes the original road from South Molton to Witheridge once ran though the farm – this may need investigating! Kate is also a keen on conservationist, encouraging wildlife back into the meadows.
Now an organic farm, Kate and her partner Robert James breed traditional Red Ruby Devon cattle which graze the culm grassland and in winter are housed in the old linhays. There are also pigs, including a rare variety called “Plum Pudding” (ginger with black spots), which live in one of the orchards. Organic poultry includes free range Welsummer hens, geese and ducks. Sheep are bred for meat and long lustre wool, which is spun and woven into textiles, and sold from the farm, at craft fairs, and also on the internet. Arable crops include oats, barley and peas. Robert runs a butchery on site to sell farm meat, bacon, sausages, hams and eggs.
Members enjoyed a talk by Kate, on the history of the farm so far discovered, with some old maps, followed by a walk around the old stone barn, linhays and the fields, down to the flat land by the river, where there is an interesting feature described as a “medieval causeway”, leading to the water’s edge. This warrants more investigation and possibly recording. We saw hazel coppice by the river, and apparently otters have made a comeback here, making their way up the drainage ditches. There is a cartshed, with the open side north facing, to prevent the sun blistering the paintwork on the carts! Not far from this by the roadside is the old cart pond, where carts would have been driven to soak their wheels to prevent the rims coming off. A ‘mill and mix’ in the barn processes food for the cattle and sheep. Buildings include an old cider house and engine house.
After the walk, members enjoyed a superb farmhouse cream tea with Kate in the dining room of the farmhouse, which was much admired for some lovely features, including a massive fireplace in the kitchen with the chimney and bread oven hidden behind wooden partitioning. Servants’ bells were also in evidence, a reminder of days gone by, when there would have been staff to service the house. Apparently it was also a hotel at one time. This information only came to light when we were joined on the walk by a lady who had lived at the farm as a child!
We would like to thank Kate and Robert for making us so welcome, most of us went home clutching packages of eggs, bacon and sausages, and orders for beef for Easter roasts!
Since the visit, Kate has kindly agreed to allow NDAS to carry out a project of surveying at the farm, which will include geophys surveying (earth resistance surveying) of the foundations of the original farmhouse, probably during June. This will be a training exercise for members to familiarise themselves with the geophys equipment. Other exercises may include building surveying, boundary/hedge surveys, earthwork surveys of bumps etc! If you would like to be included in any of the above, please contact Derry Bryant
For further information on West Yeo Farm, see www.westyeofarm.co.uk
Derry Bryant
Acknowledgements: Kate Palmer