Monument record MDO535 - Bere Chapel, Lower Bere Chapel Farm, Broadwindsor

The manor of Bere came into the possession of Forde Abbey in the 12th and 13th centuries. In 1863 a piscina was found built into a blocked doorway, leading to speculation that Bere Chapel Farm may have been the site of a chapel.

Bere Chapel Farm was part of the possessions of Forde Abbey (ST 30 NE 15) and there was doubtless a chapel there. In 1863 a piscina was found built into a blocked doorway. A small garden, supposed to be a monks' burial ground, when drained contained no remains. Foundations remains have been found elsewhere and the "Homeground" has traces of a road through it with hollow-ways leading to it from the farm. <1>

No evidence was seen at the farmhouse of a chapel and nothing was kown of a piscina though the house contained traces of age. The south façade is ashlar faced with 17th century style windows. An outbuilding has a probable 16th century derived cruck roof and a probably reused Tudor doorway. See photographs. The house is not of outstanding architectural interest, and there are no remains of any extensive settlement. <2>

The Manor of Bere, including the estate of Oathill, both held under Wayford manor, belonged to the Burnel family from the 12th century until 1530. The estates in Bere and Oathill acquired by Forde abbey in the 12th and 13th centuries from the Burnels apparently lay in the SW of the parish, where the ground was tithe free in the 19th century. The manor-house, now known as Lower Bere Chapel farm, is 17th century with modern additions. Its name, recorded in 1737, and a piscina discovered in 1863 suggest that it formerly contained a private oratory. (The county of Somerset formerly included an area extending south of the River Axe to Kittwhistle, ST 398040, and including the farms of Bere Chapel and Oathill). <4>

<1> Pulman, George P R, 1875, The Book of the Axe, 353ff (Monograph). SDO17923.

<2> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 09-AUG-60 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<3> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1962 (Map). SWX1540.

(ST 39170574) Bere Chapel Farmhouse [NR]

<4> Dunning, R W (ed), 1978, Victoria County History - Somerset, 70-71 (Monograph). SDO17931.

<5> Department of the Environment, 1984, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest: District of West Dorset (Parishes of Burstock, Broadwindsor, Mapperton, Netherbury, North Poorton, Pilsdon, Powerstock and Stoke Abbott), 1 (Scheduling record). SDO16351.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 191387 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 17 2022 10:13AM