Site Event/Activity record EEM14144 - 2013: HBR - Hoar Oak Cottage, in advance of and during consolidation

Hoar Oak Cottage is a complex and much-altered structure, the earliest elements of which could date to the 17th century; it was perhaps originally a farm building attached to the farmhouse shown on the 1839 tithe map. In the early 19th century the site belonged to the Vellacotts and was part of the Furzehill estate. In the 1860s the Knights took a lease on it in order to accommodate shepherds and their families. During the 18th and 19th centuries a series of alterations and improvements were made, reflecting the development of farming activities. In the late 19th century Hoar Oak Cottage was acquired by the Fortescue estate. It was inhabited into the 1950s, but the building was never connected to the National Grid and lacked a bathroom; as a result it fell into a ruinous state. It was bought by Exmoor National Park Authority in 1967 and steps were taken to consolidate the structure. A subsequent phase of consolidation took place in 2013 when the structure was reduced in height and made safe - this work took place before and during the consolidation works. This report was produced as part of the Exmoor Moorland Landscape Partnership Scheme. The EMLP is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund and its local partners and funders www.heartofexmoor.org.uk. This survey informed a major conservation project carried out in 2012 and 2013 for Hoar Oak Cottage.