MEM23180 - Castle Farm, Exford (Building)

The farmstead is shown on the Tithe Map and labelled "Castle". At this time it consisted of a farmhouse and attached outbuilding to its west, and a further building situated to the farmhouse's east. [1] The farmhouse is shown on the 1st and 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey maps extending to the east, possibly abutting the originally detached outbuilding. A further structure had been constructed to the south of the latter by this stage. [2,3] Since the 2nd Edition map was published, the building abutting the east end of the farmhouse appears to have been removed and other structures constructed at this point. The building to the south had been demolished and another larger, linear building constructed further to the east. [4] The site was visited in January 1997. It was thought that it was no longer functioning as a farmstead but instead, the buildings included a cottage with a separate group of sheds etc, used for horses. [5] Castle Farmstead was sold to John Huxtable in 1740 for a golden guinea and 60 English pounds. Some of the walls have been noted to be four feet six inches thick. When plaster was being removed in 1951, a millstone was found to have been built into one of the walls, possibly to bring the house prosperity. [6]