MDE20797 - Old Close, Challacombe (Monument)

A house and court is shown on historic mapping. It was originally interpreted as a farmstead but is now thought to represent the residence of the quarry manager for Old Close Quarry. The earliest buildings may still survive as ruins.

Three roofless buildings with partition walls, forming three sides of a square yard are visible on historic aerial photographs. Deserted farm site, "Old Close". [1-3] Site of 'Old Close' shown as a U shaped building round a square yard with other buildings to the south and east on the 25 inch 1st and 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey maps. [4,5] The cottage at "Old Close", which dates from 1796, was the quarry manager's house for Old Close Quarry. [6] Two structures are shown at this location on the Tithe Map for Challacombe. They are labelled 821, which the Apportionment describes as "Old Close: House and Court", owned and occupied by Partridge Ridd. [7] The original buildings shown on the Tithe Map appear to have been situated to the west of those shown as extant on the 2021 MasterMap data. The first buildings were located at c.SS 7039 4098 and SS 7039 4096; traces of these structures are still visible in the MasterMap data. Those visible at SS 7040 4097, SS 7041 4096 and SS 7043 4096 appear to be shown on the 1st Edition map, suggesting a mid to late 19th Century date. [4,7,8,9]