Merryfield

In the civil parish of Cudworth.
In the historic county of Somerset (Modern Authority of Somerset, 1974 county of Somerset).

Documented manor site mentioned in the 1327 lay subsidy, occupied by Wadham family who founded Wadham College Oxford. A rectangular moat with entrance on S side. Inner side of the moat ditch is revetted with mortared stone walling. A causeway is original. The site of the house, demolished after 1618, could be traced in 1934 but is not now visible. A large boulder 2mx1m on the island has local legendary associations. Woodhouse Farm, the almshouses at Ilton and other local buildings said to contain re-used material from the house. The uneven area of pasture enclosed by the moat has a surface scatter of rubble with a few fragments of medieval ridge tiles and pottery. Good medieval fishpond on the N side, with possible extension on the NW.

This site has been described as a;
Fortified Manor House.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Possible.
Cropmarks/slight earthworks remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is ST33981779

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape number; 191616

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 53386

• Web site links
  • http://webapp1.somerset.gov.uk/her/details.asp?prn=53386
• Books
  • Dunning, Robert, 1995, Somerset Castles (Somerset Books) p61
    Ellison, Ann, 1983, Medieval villages in SE Somerset (Western Archaeological Trust surveys no.6) p43
    Collinson, J., 1791, The History and Antiquities of Somersetshire Vol1 p48
• Journal Articles
  • 1935, Notes and Queries for Somerset and Dorset Vol21 p213
    1934, Somerset Archaeology and Natural History Vol80 p1-10
    1934, Somerset Countryman Vol4 p12