MSO12589 - Middle Staddon deserted farmstead, Winsford (Monument)

Hamelino de Stoddone mentioned in 1327 Lay subsidy. [1] In 1839 Middle Staddon was an estate of 27 acres. [2] No longer working farmsteads. [3] Shown with Lower Staddon on 1962 map with characteristic enclosures. [4] Banks, walls and a roofless building shown on 1947 aerial photograph. Middle Staddon is possibly the 3 sides of a rectangular building on the east side of the lane. [5] 1971 aerial photographs show no buildings. [7] The deserted farmstead of Middle Staddon is centred at SS 87760 36570 in the western corner of a large pasture field and some 50 metres southeast of Little Staddon (MSO8525). It comprises the earthwork remains of an enclosure defined by a pronounced scarp. This enclosure corresponds with a parcel of land (no 244) shown on the Tithe Map for Winsford parish and called `house & garden', despite the fact that no buildings are depicted [8]. Within the earthwork enclosure are two building platforms. The first at SS 87756 36573 is aligned roughly west to east and is cut by 0.9 metres into the rising ground at its east end. It measures about 10 metres long by 7.8 metres wide. The second lies immediately south of the former and at right angles to it. It is aligned rougly north to south and comprises a level platform measuring 9 metres by 4 metres, its eastern side formed by the enclosure scarp. The date of desertion of this group is not certain. The fact that the parcel is described `house & garden' on the Tithe Map would suggest that the buildings were no longer there in 1840, but that their existence was remembered. The platforms were found during field reconnaissance and surveyed at 1:2500 scale on the 16th September 1997. [9] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [9] A member of the public forwarded a scanned copy of a historic document relating to the land parcels. The document is an invoice for Tithe Rent Charges for the year 1882, made out to Mr William Heywood, with Middle Staddon named under the "Name and Description of Lands and Premesis" heading. The tithe rent, paid annually to the vicar (at that time a Rev. W.P. Anderson) for the holding was £3, 5s and 1d, which was due on Friday 4th January when the vicar would be available "between the hours of 12 and 2" to receive payment. There is also an invitation to dinner at 2pm after the payment window closes. The letter is dated December 26th 1881, from a Daniel Evans, and is addressed from Winsford. The majority of the letter is a printed pro forma, printed by Mead of Tiverton who are referenced on the bottom left hand corner. The details are filled in by hand, with a stamp over the signature of Mr Evans. [10]