Site 5 Kerris Cottage
Kerris is a late 15th century building, at one time three dwellings. In the central part of the house was an unheated Hall, unusual for a house of this size. There was an Inner room to the left as you look at it and to the right of the Hall separated by wooden panelling, a Cross Passage and Service room. There were chambers above the Hall and Inner room but the Service room was open to the roof. The Cross passage is well used and paved with blue lias stone. The house was divided at the Cross passage , the southern end, probably in the late 18th century. In the mid 19th century, an extension was put on the northern end, making a third , one roomed, dwelling.
Kerris, formerly known as The Thatched Cottage and The Cottage.
In 1842 a Jonathan Scriven , shopkeeper, lived in the Thatched Cottage.
In 1921 the whole property was part of the Ilchester Estate sale, consisting of 2 cottages, outbuildings, orchard and smallholding land. The Thatched Cottage ( being the Northern end) and The Cottage ( the southern end including the Cross passage). The Thatched Cottage was bought for £242.15 by VW Hibberd, a smallholder, of Salisbury. The Cottage was sold to Lincoln Garibaldi Cox, smallholder, for £212.15. He was the existing tenant, probably of both cottages. By 1942 The Thatched Cottage had changed hands, and, in this year, it was bought by Henry John Patch, plumber and sanitary engineer of Combe Down, for £675. Henry was better known as Harry Patch who became famous as one of the last survivors of the First World War, dying at the age of 111. A book, “The Last Fighting Tommy,” recalls his life. His brother Maurice Patch, a smallholder, also lived in the property and later bought it.
The land attached to the two cottages was sold in 1962 to the owners of Combe Hollow House (formerly Middle Farm), next door.
Both cottages changed hands several times with mortgages to help with purchase at times being given by the British Workman and General Benefit Building Society or the British Building Society.
The two cottages became one home in the early 1990’s.
information for QR code: Link to book
“The Last Fighting Tommy”.
The story of Harry Patch, born June 17th 1898, died July 25th 2009 at the age of 111. His death meant that there were no longer any surviving soldiers of the British Army who fought in the trenches in the First World War. Harry never spoke about the war until he was 100. The book is his recollection of those experiences.