Addison's Folly, Before Becoming Bemberry Bank, on the West Side of Timberscombe
Title
Addison's Folly, Before Becoming Bemberry Bank, on the West Side of Timberscombe
Subject
Description
An undated photograph, used as a postcard, of Addison's Folly, the road entering the western side of Timberscombe. It was probably just as easily known locally as "the Cutcombe Road", indeed coming from the direction of Cutcombe and Wheddon Cross--just as the road coming to the eastern side of the village was "the Dunster Road ". In the early to mid 20th century, Addison's Folly was renamed Bemberry Bank.
Addison's Folly had no houses depicted on a 1916 auction map of The Knowle Estate, created by W.R.J. Greenslade & Co. of Taunton and Wellington. In the end of the 1920's, the three larger houses on the right of the road, all containing two residences, were completed and are first seen on the 1921-1943 Ordnance Survey Map. The six accommodations were originally addressed as No. 1 Council House through No. 6 Council House (1) and later renamed No. 1 through No. 6 Bemberry Bank. In 2019, Andy Heard, the owner of No. 6, believed the completion date of his house might be 1929, as a brick on his chimney had been dated. That might have been a completion date for the chimney. SP-040 is a photograph of Mrs. Elizabeth Ann (nee Stenner) Copp and her son, Cyril Copp, apparently moved into the semi-detached No. 5, dated by the Copp family as 1923 (2), but is more likely later.
The first house seen on the right is No. 5 and No. 6. The next two houses are more visible with their front facades "turning" toward the camera. Nos. 4 and 3 were renamed Broad Reach and Bemberry Bank and the last house (from the camera) contains No. 1, with No. 2 called The Hazels. Around 1989, a fourth house named Embellewood, will be added in the right foreground of the photograph (3).
To the left of these larger houses, facing directly toward the camera, is a gabled roof over three church-styled windows. This is the backside of the Old Timberscombe School (and remains part of the Timberscombe School), erected in 1876, first appearing on the Ordnance Survey Map of 1844-1888. To it's left, positioned next to the road, is the dwelling called School House (appearing grey, gabled and with a chimney in it's centre). It's foundation stone was laid in 1805. When the building was completed, the part of the school that is visible here, was first used as a living area for Head Teachers (4), with the school's first classroom originally semi-detached on the back of it's left end (as seen at SP-072). The Head Teacher's lodging later became a residential accommodation, known as School House.
At the left side of Addison's Folly is former Glebe land, later housing a play area for the school and the village. On this side of the road and coming into the centre of Timberscombe, is a house at an angle, with a gabled roof and with it's left side silhouetted. To it's right and behind a large tree (since removed), a window can be seen on the side of the village's Vicarage. At least since 1571, a church vicarage was on this site. This building was in such disrepair by 1815, it was deemed unworthy for a vicar (although it continued to house lesser clergymen). It had extensive alterations between 1855 and 1864 and again served as the Vicarage, until being sold in 1962 (5). There appears to be a cross (or perhaps a road sign) and a vehicle in front of the Vicarage. On the further side of the Vicarage, Addison's Folly becomes Jubilee Terrace. In the 1970's, the sold Vicarage was divided into flats, collectively becoming known as the Old Vicarage (6).
The gabled-roofed smaller building was from the same time period as the Old Vicarage. Both appear on the 1843 Tithe Map, owned by the Rev. William Bailey Whitehead (the vicar at St. Petrock's, who lived at The Great House at that time) and were occupied by the Rev. Thomas Bealy (7), one of the clergymen acting as the curate at St. Petrock's. The smaller house will be altered, with dormers and possibly another storey added. It later contains Nos. 7 and 8 Vicarage Court, becoming the oldest part of a housing estate called Vicarage Court, Council housing completed in 1988 (8). On the back of this building is a plaque, commemorating a visit by Princess Anne, in her capacity as "The Princess Royal. President of the Rural Trust", made on the 4th of July, 1997.
The postcard is labeled "Addison's Folly, Timberscombe". This particular version of the postcard was produced in a leather booklet containing twelve postcards of Timberscombe and was provided in 2019 by Maurice Huxtable, whose family have been residents of Timberscombe for generations.
Addison's Folly had no houses depicted on a 1916 auction map of The Knowle Estate, created by W.R.J. Greenslade & Co. of Taunton and Wellington. In the end of the 1920's, the three larger houses on the right of the road, all containing two residences, were completed and are first seen on the 1921-1943 Ordnance Survey Map. The six accommodations were originally addressed as No. 1 Council House through No. 6 Council House (1) and later renamed No. 1 through No. 6 Bemberry Bank. In 2019, Andy Heard, the owner of No. 6, believed the completion date of his house might be 1929, as a brick on his chimney had been dated. That might have been a completion date for the chimney. SP-040 is a photograph of Mrs. Elizabeth Ann (nee Stenner) Copp and her son, Cyril Copp, apparently moved into the semi-detached No. 5, dated by the Copp family as 1923 (2), but is more likely later.
The first house seen on the right is No. 5 and No. 6. The next two houses are more visible with their front facades "turning" toward the camera. Nos. 4 and 3 were renamed Broad Reach and Bemberry Bank and the last house (from the camera) contains No. 1, with No. 2 called The Hazels. Around 1989, a fourth house named Embellewood, will be added in the right foreground of the photograph (3).
To the left of these larger houses, facing directly toward the camera, is a gabled roof over three church-styled windows. This is the backside of the Old Timberscombe School (and remains part of the Timberscombe School), erected in 1876, first appearing on the Ordnance Survey Map of 1844-1888. To it's left, positioned next to the road, is the dwelling called School House (appearing grey, gabled and with a chimney in it's centre). It's foundation stone was laid in 1805. When the building was completed, the part of the school that is visible here, was first used as a living area for Head Teachers (4), with the school's first classroom originally semi-detached on the back of it's left end (as seen at SP-072). The Head Teacher's lodging later became a residential accommodation, known as School House.
At the left side of Addison's Folly is former Glebe land, later housing a play area for the school and the village. On this side of the road and coming into the centre of Timberscombe, is a house at an angle, with a gabled roof and with it's left side silhouetted. To it's right and behind a large tree (since removed), a window can be seen on the side of the village's Vicarage. At least since 1571, a church vicarage was on this site. This building was in such disrepair by 1815, it was deemed unworthy for a vicar (although it continued to house lesser clergymen). It had extensive alterations between 1855 and 1864 and again served as the Vicarage, until being sold in 1962 (5). There appears to be a cross (or perhaps a road sign) and a vehicle in front of the Vicarage. On the further side of the Vicarage, Addison's Folly becomes Jubilee Terrace. In the 1970's, the sold Vicarage was divided into flats, collectively becoming known as the Old Vicarage (6).
The gabled-roofed smaller building was from the same time period as the Old Vicarage. Both appear on the 1843 Tithe Map, owned by the Rev. William Bailey Whitehead (the vicar at St. Petrock's, who lived at The Great House at that time) and were occupied by the Rev. Thomas Bealy (7), one of the clergymen acting as the curate at St. Petrock's. The smaller house will be altered, with dormers and possibly another storey added. It later contains Nos. 7 and 8 Vicarage Court, becoming the oldest part of a housing estate called Vicarage Court, Council housing completed in 1988 (8). On the back of this building is a plaque, commemorating a visit by Princess Anne, in her capacity as "The Princess Royal. President of the Rural Trust", made on the 4th of July, 1997.
The postcard is labeled "Addison's Folly, Timberscombe". This particular version of the postcard was produced in a leather booklet containing twelve postcards of Timberscombe and was provided in 2019 by Maurice Huxtable, whose family have been residents of Timberscombe for generations.
Creator
Anonymous
Source
Date
likely pre 1915
Contributor
Language
English
Identifier
Addison's Folly / Timberscombe / Bemberry Bank
Acquisition Date
2019
Acquisition Method
Gift
Category
PLACES: Village Streets / Timberscombe
Condition
Good
Condition Notes
Entered by Tom Sperling
Condition Date
2020
Dimension Type
W X L
Dimension Units
cm
Dimension Value
12.5 X 20
Institution Name
St. Petrock's History Group
Notes
(1) as still listed on the 1939 England and Wales Register (2) being held by Annie Maria Prole, an infant, Vera Prole is seen in the photograph, who was born in 1924, suggesting the 1923 date of the photograph is too early (3) as recalled in 2019 by Andy and Sarah Heard, owners of No. 6 Bemberry Bank (4) Victoria County History, ac.uk (5) VCH (6) VCH (7) Somerset Record Office, Taunton, as researched and drawn by John Burns, February 1989 for a Timberscombe School village history project (8) Somerset County Gazette, 14 April, 1989
Storage Location
St. Petrock's History Group Archive
Storage Date
2020
Storage Notes
St. Petrock's History Group PHOTOGRAPHS
Item Reference
SP-039
Technique
Copy
Citation
Anonymous, “Addison's Folly, Before Becoming Bemberry Bank, on the West Side of Timberscombe,” St. Petrock's History Group, accessed May 6, 2024, https://stpetrockshistorygroup.omeka.net/items/show/3154.
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