Listed Building record MDO14994 - Emerenciana (Nethercombe Farm), Coombe, Sherborne

A farmhouse with a window of two foiled lights in a two centred head, now blocked, in the west gable. A barn to the north of the house, incorporates a 15th century doorway with a two centred head. Reports describe various fragments of windows etc, mostly of the 15th century, in the gardens. The possible site of St Emerenciana's chapel.

The masonry is probably from the church of St. Emerenciana, which had fallen down by Leland's visit to Sherborne c. 1540 <1> <2>. It is not clear if the house is on the site of the church or merely re-used stone from the church.

ST. EMERENCIANA'S chapel. This is mentioned by LELAND as completely destroyed, and he says it stood in the N. side of the town. It seems likely it stood in
NETHER COOMBE [Name ST 635171] and that it may be identified with what is now a farm cottage, 40 ft long and 22 ft wide.
This cottage is orientated E-W and in the W. wall there is a blocked two-light 14th c. window.

Nothing seems to be known as to when or how the chapel fell into disuse, but it may have been before the Reformation. <3>

The cottage at NETHER COOMBE farm has the blocked 14th c. window described above. This is placed 5 ft above the ground. In other respects the stone built cottage is comparatively modern; with modern windows, a tile roof etc.

13.0 m. N. of the window there is an apparently Md. Stone doorway, which seems to have been re-set in the W. side of a much later barn.

This doorway may also be a part of the old chapel. The window in the cottage is presumably 'in site'; it is too high up in the wall to make a satisfactory ground floor window, yet not high enough for a first floor window. <4> <5>

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West), 217 (Monograph). SDO97.

'(49) Nethercombe Farm, house 140 yards N.W. of (48), is perhaps of medieval origin. In the W. gable is a window of two foiled lights in a two centred head and now blocked. The barn, to the N. of the house, incorporates a 15th century doorway with a two centred head. In the gardens are various fragments of windows etc., mostly of the 15th century.'

<2> Hutchins, J, 1873, The history and antiquities of the County of Dorset. Volume 4. 3rd edition, 257 (Monograph). SDO10245.

<3> Fowler, J, 1951, Mediaeval Sherborne (Monograph). SDO10392.

208, 325

<4> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 29-JUN-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<5> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 18-JUL-55 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<6> Ordnance Survey, 1:2500 scale, 1964 (Map). SWX1197.

(ST 6343 1703) Emerenciana (NAT)

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 199435 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 23 2024 1:04PM