Listed Building record MDO47076 - Wytherston House, Powerstock

A farmhouse built in the seventeenth century, with eighteenth-century and modern additions at the rear. The house may be on the site of a medieval chapel.

WITHERSTON: This little parish is depopulated, reduced to one farm house and the manor extinct. It is not mentioned in Domesday, but the manor was held by ABBOTSBURY Abbey from early times until the dissolution, after which it was granted to the MORGANS and later passed to the TRENCHARD family. The court rolls of this manor go back to the reign of HEN VI. <1>

The house: was built in the 17THC. and there are 18THC. and modern additions at the back; the front has modern
windows. Some original fireplaces and ceiling beams exist inside. On one of the fireplaces is scratched the date and
initials "W.T.1615.E.T." The barn; S. of the house, was probably built in the 16THC. with a later extension to the W. It is of eight bays. <3>

Still known as WYTHERSTONE FARM. <4>

A stone built private residence in an excellent state of preservation. The front or western face has a Queen ANNE style porch. The modern additions referred to in T2 are to the East. The area around the farm was perambulated but no trace of a depopulated area was found. <5>

[SY 53069703] "The 16.c. Tithe barn is scheduled as an Ancient Mon.t. Local legend states that the western, later,
portion was a chapel, and until some 40 yrs. ago - when my uncle rebuilt the west wall - there was a stone cross on the
gable apex".

The tithe barn is in original condition and a good state of repair, to the south is a contemporary round house.
The western portion of the barn is not bounded to the main feature, has a lower roof line, and is obviously of later
construction. Despite its use for ecclesiastical purposes it shews no trace of any dateable architectural features and the roof cross (T.5 refs.) could not be traced. <6>

It seems possible that this building formed the later site of an early chapel at WYTHERSTONE covered by Dorset 29.SE.18. <7>

<1> Shipp, W, and Hodson, J W (eds), 1863, The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset. 3rd edition. Volume 2, 199-200 (Monograph). SWX1269.

<2> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1904 (Map). SWX1540.

[SY 5307 9705) WYTHERSTONE FARM [T.I.]

<3> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 184 (Monograph). SDO97.

<4> Rigg, J, Field Investigators Comments JR, F1 JR 27-APR-55 (Unpublished document). SWX1255.

<5> Rigg, J, Field Investigators Comments JR, F2 JR 27-APR-55 (Unpublished document). SWX1255.

<5.1> Mrs Warre, Oral information, correspondence (not archived): Mrs Warre (owner/occupier), Wytherston House, Powerstock, 27.4.55 (Verbal communication). SDO20056.

<6> Colquhoun, F D, Field Investigators Comments FDC, F3 FDC 02-MAY-55 (Unpublished document). SWX2609.

<6.1> House, A, Oral: Mr A House (occupier), Wytherstone Farm Cottages, Powerstock, 2.5.55 (Verbal communication). SDO20079.

<7> Colquhoun, F D, Field Investigators Comments FDC, F4 FDC 02-MAY-55 (Unpublished document). SWX2609.

<8> National Record of the Historic Environment, 450803 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 27 2023 3:44PM