A little about Old Bridge

Old Bridge is a beautiful 16th Century small Elizabethan manor house surrounded by 2 acres of private garden, located in rural South Somerset.

There have been Blakes in the West Country at least since the 15th century. Cromwell's ''general at sea'', Admiral Robert Blake, born at Bridgwater in 1598, was one of them. His statue dominates the High Street of Bridgwater today. The Blake family has lived in the parish of South Petherton for 150 years. In 1858, William Blake, the present owner's great, great grandfather, inherited 400 acres there - some of the finest land in the country, along with the existing house known as Old Bridge. He was a successful farmer, active Liberal, and was appointed High Sheriff of Somerset in 1869.

Six generations later, Old Bridge is still very much the family home for us and our four children. It is a wonderful property, full of warmth and character and well situated in an area of quiet rural beauty, surrounded by our own farmland.

The pretty village of South Petherton, a mile away has all the necessities of life, including the village hall built by and named after the aforementioned William Blake!

Old Bridge was built in 1580, as a small Elizabethan Manor house, for the daughter of the then owners of Wigborough Manor, which lies a mile across the fields to the south, at Lower Stratton. Wigborough is a classic E-shaped Elizabethan Manor but Old Bridge is more modest - not quite a full 'E', but, never-the-less, an ideal and manageable family home.  Like all the lovely old houses in the area, Old Bridge is built with the local, honey couloured Ham Stone, quarried from Ham Hill two mles to the East of us.  As a listed building, we are honour-bound to retain it's unique character for future genertions, but in the mean time it is a please for us to share it widely, with those of you who would like to enjoy the property as a majestic backdrop to a memorable venue.

During the 19th century, the house was surrounded by farm buildings, which have long since gone. When the Blake family settled in Petherton in early Victorian times, they built a large, 21 bedroom mansion just to the North of us, and they built the farm half a mile away up the hill to the south. Old Bridge was converted into 3 farm workers cottages. 60 years ago the Victorian pile was sold to the County Council and eventually pulled down. The family moved into Old Bridge, putting the house back into one home, and discovering, for instance, the large inglenook fireplace hidden behind an old cottage range, - shaping the house much as it is now.

When we inherited the house from my parents in 1986, we extended the kitchen, re-wired, insulated and generally modernised the house with central heating and carpets over the old flag stone floors.  Our four children have flown the nest now and we therefore have time to share the property with you!

Please contact us to discuss further details and arrange to come and see for yourselves.