MEM23832 - Castle Rock Cottage, Valley of Rocks (Building)

The building first appears on aerial photographs of the site in 1946-8. It is now in use as a cafe. There are references to suggest the building was an 18th Century hunting lodge but this appears to be erroneous.

The present cafe is reputed to be an 18th Century hunting lodge of the de Wichehalse family of Lee Abbey, former Lords of the Manor and owners of the Valley of Rocks. The wall around what is now the cricket pitch enclosed the rabbit warren (MEM23832) and it is likely that the cafe was then the warrener's cottage. [1] The Tithe Map for Lynton and Lynmouth includes references to a warren in two field names in the Valley of Rocks. Land parcel 115, however, in which the current café is now placed, is not shown to contain any buildings but is full of trees. It is labelled "Woody Plot", in use as pasture and was owned by the Reverend Thomas Roe, occupied by Charles Fry. No buildings are shown in any of the land parcels concerned. [2] No buildings are shown in this position on the 1st or 2nd Edition Survey map, although the 1st Edition map does show a building abutting the boundary with The Warren (MEM23833), apparently becoming derelict by the time the 2nd Edition map was surveyed. [3,4] The building at SS 7083 4980 which now includes the cafe is first shown on aerial photographs taken of the site by the Royal Air Force in 1946-8. It is now labelled Castle Rock Cottage. [5,6]