MSO11675 - Post-medieval Well Farmstead west of Bradley Wood (Monument)

There are the remains of a house on the site and a few traces of other buildings and enclosures. [1] Shown as several buildings on the 1962 six inch Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division map. [2] Ruined buildings shown on 1978 Ordnance Survey map. [3] Banks and walls forming a group of small enclosures with two buildings, one of which is roofless. Centred at SS 852 335. Deserted farm site of Well. Visible on Tithe Map [8]. [4-6] Was in Winsford parish but now in Withypool following reorganisation in 1982. Adjacent water meadow system, see MSO11829. [7] In 1839 there was an estate of 95 acres here, and the buildings are shown roofed. [8] A medieval farmstead at Well is indicated in the 1327 Lay Subsidy by the entry of William atte Well. [9] The complex is shown as roofed in 1888, but had shrunk by 1903. A building to the northwest was depicted as roofed in 1888, but was unroofed by 1903 (the building referred to by the RCHME survey as surviving as a mound). [10] The entire complex is depicted roofed in 1809, although the name is "Wheel". [12] The remains of the post-medieval deserted farmstead of Well lie on a natural levelling in the slope which rises southwestwards from the River Barle. The buildings survive unroofed, except for one to the northwest which survives as a mound. The walls of the other buildings stand in places to their full height although there has been some stone robbing. The buildings are constructed using local stone with some brick window arches. Local information suggests that Well was inhabited until about 1970, soon after which the roof tiles were taken for a house in Hawkridge, leaving the walls to their imminent decay [13]. [14] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [15]