Summary
Built as a Reading Room in 1894 by Sir Thomas Dyke Acland, XIth baronet, for the local people. Single storey, roof of red tiles over walls of squared waterworn boulders. Now a social club.
Identification Images (0)
Monument Types
- READING ROOM (Late 19th C to Mid 20th C - 1894 AD to 1959 AD)
- SOCIAL CLUB (Mid 20th C to Early 21st century - 1959 AD to 2050 AD)
Description
Single storey three room 'L'-shaped building with gables to east, north and south. Bay window on north end, and entrance on east, in angle of 'L'-shape, part of a contemporary lean-to on the front. The roof has an 'L'-shaped ridge, with lower eaves over the front ( east) gable. Single pitch roof over front lean-to, with gablet over both front and side doors, the north end has a small hip. Pentice roof over bay window. Axial stack in north-south ridge.
Rear extension an irregular quadrilateral, its shape constrained by the boundary bank along the rear of the plot. Flat roof.
Roof of red tiles with collared red ridge tiles. Tiles cut to form laced valley. Lead flashing between main roof and lean-to. Rear extension - tarred, flat, with shingle on it.
Squared waterworn boulder walls, red sandstone, grey-green and purple local stone, with black brick chamfered quoins, jambs, sills and top of plinth. Gables all tile hung, with lowest course pitched out at an angle of 45 degrees to shed water. Vent in east gable with four louvre boards. Small vent in plinth, set under suspended floors. Extension - concrete block, rendered.
Built 1894 as a reading room, with cloakroom to right of entrance. Often newspapers and books were provided for local people to encourage their educational development, the theory being that a more educated work force produced more intelligent, useful and contented people ( not shown on 1889 OS Somerset sheet XXXIV.2 where the ground is garden, but marked on the 1903 2nd edition). 1950 lease of building for Allerford Club quoted in later document ( Estate Office papers). Application for bar licence 1959, became a club rather than a reading room ( lease in Estate Office). In 1980 rear extension added, with public lavatories ( used by Club) and car-park ( relevant letter filed with lease in Estate Office). Cloakroom converted to cellar for beer barrels and bay window blocked so that bar could be inserted.
Important Features:
External appearance.
Carpentry work - matchboarding, doors, door linings, mullion windows.
Quality fixtures on doors - push latches ( most solid brass).
Tile floor in cellar.
Full-size billiard table.
In a good state of repair. [1]
The building was recorded in 2001 as part of the Holnicote Estate Survey: Built as the Reading Room for Allerford by the Aclands, it was a result of the XIth Baronet’s respect for education and his wish to enable his tenants to benefit from reading newspapers and magazines in the evenings. The old school at Luccombe (115104) and also a building at Broadclyst were adopted for this purpose. After the second World War the building was leased to tenants as a club, and it acquired a bar licence in 1959. Allerford Club still rents the building. Condition: good. [2]
References
- SZN1137 - Vernacular Building Survey: Isabel J Richardson. 1993. VBS: Allerford Club, The Reading Room. [Mapped feature: #182294 ]
- SZN48220 - Unpublished document: Isabel Richardson. 2001. Holnicote Estate Archaeological Survey, Somerset. 115222.
Designations
None Recorded
Other Statuses and References
- HER/SMR Reference (External) (Exmoor NP HER): MEM22134
- National Park
Associated Events
- ENA10577 - Heritage Assessment, Vernacular Building Surveys within the Holnicote Estate, 1991-1997
- ENA3149 - Field Survey, Archaeological Survey of the Holnicote Estate 2001
Associated Finds
None Recorded
Related Records
None Recorded