MEM25021 - Venne House, Upton (Monument)

A large house within an area of landscaped gardens and outbuildings is shown on the Tithe Map for Upton at SS 9902 3082. It is labelled "Venne". The land parcel is labelled 28, which the Apportionment describes as "Venne: House, Garden and Barton", owned and occupied by Silas Wood Blake esq. [1] The house is shown on the 25 inch 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map. [2] The house is no longer shown on the 2021 MasterMap data. A building labelled "Venne Farm" has been constructed slightly to the southeast, at SS 9902 3081; this may or may not have incorporated fabric from the previous structure. [3] The site of Venne House is centred at SS 9904 3081 and is now occupied by a bungalow. The house was presumably built in the 19th Century and was demolished in the 1970s (local information). However, a building is shown at this location on the Ordnance Survey 1st edition 1 inch mapping of 1802-3 and called `Four Chimnies'. [4,5] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [6] Venne House is shown on the six inch Ordnance Survey map of 1962-3. [7] The house is no longer shown on the 25 inch 1973 Ordnance Survey map. [8] A testator named William Blake, who was a barrister at law, lived at Venne. His probate is dated 9 May 1832. He left his property to his ward, Silas Wood Norman, who was also permitted by the King to take his surname. [9-11]