MEM23733 - Chibbet Farmstead, Exford (Building)

The farmstead is depicted on the Tithe Map for Exford and is labelled "Chibbate". Unfortunately, the copy of the map inspected had suffered folding damage in this location and little of the farmstead could be successfully inspected, although it is depicted in the same location as the current buildings and one outlying building can be discerned at c. SS 8393 3770. The accompanying Apportionment states that "Chibbate Homestead" is within land parcel 664, with the garden (visible on the map) within 663. Both are owned by John Joyce and occupied by Joseph Balmont. [1] The farmstead is depicted on the 1st and 2nd Edition Ordnance Survey maps and labelled "Chibbet". It seems that the building mentioned above at c. SS 8393 3770 (if this was its true location) is no longer extant. On both documents, the buildings shown all still appear to be extant and little altered in plan, with no additions. However, some of the enclosures around the farmstead have been altered between these maps and since they were surveyed. [2-4] The farmstead was visited in February 1997 as part of the Exmoor Farmsteads survey. The house was thought to date to the first half of the 19th Century but had recently been altered and rendered. It was described as "tall and blocky with half-hips" and was suggested to have replaced an earlier structure. The farmyard was noted to be uphill from the house and squarish, with the largest of several small structures being a barn of rubble with buttresses. Other "simple and pleasant buildings" were noted to adjoin it. None of the buildings were thought to date to earlier than the 18th Century. A separate 3 bay wooden posted linhay was also noted at the site. The whole was said to be "tucked away" in a small valley, having "an obviously ancient set-up". [5]