Many changes to Exmoor were carried out during the ownership of the Knight family. Indeed, it was the activity of the Knight family in enclosing the moor and building new farmsteads that changed the nature of the landscape. The Parliamentary Enclosure Acts came into force in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, first in the Brendons and then over most of Exmoor, including the Royal Forest. Over 10,000 acres were enclosed within beech hedges until the agricultural decline of the 1870s. Much of the land was acquired by John Knight, who began an immense and ambitious programme of improvement which was continued by his son. The landscape of straight roads, improved pasture, regular fields, beech hedges and windbreaks and new farmsteads, which is so apparent today, was shaped at this time. The desire to improve the moorland has continued since the second World War until recent years when this trend, through specific measures, has slowed and even reversed in places.
John Knight made an unsuccessful attempt at improving the Exmoor ponies breed by introducing an Arab Stallion Katerfelto . The resulting produce lost the hardy characteristics needed to survive Exmoor’s harsh winters, and this line eventually died out leaving no lasting influence on the breed.
1In 1818 the Knights bought Old Simonsbath House. John knight enclosed the Royal Forrest with a wall about 30miles long all around estate. By the 1840s he had built new farms and by the 1850s Simonsbath church was built for the growing population. The Knights put in beech trees now a major part of the Exmoor scenery Pinkery Pond was created by damming the headwaters of the River Barle. Some suggest that the sole purpose was to create a folly.
In 1814, John Knight - an industrialist from Wolverley (near Kidderminster in Worcestershire) bought the Exmoor Forest. Knight saw an opportunity to become a significant landowner, and to tame the moor - using the modern agricultural methods of the day, and to create a viable farming community.
Part of the terms of the purchase of the Exmoor Forest included a clause requiring the landowner to set aside 12 acres of land for a church, burial ground and parsonage. The plot identified was used for the annual pony sales.
During the early years of John Knight's ownership, enormous difficulties presented themselves - not least the harsh climate, and high landscape. When Knight bought the land there were few large trees, no walls, fences, hedges or windbreaks, hardly any inhabitants, only one dwelling, and no roads.
John Knight's eldest son Frederic took over the running of the estate in 1841. Frederic had lived in Simonsbath for most of his life and learned much from his father's experiences. Under his management, more farms were built, including Cornham, Driver, Duredown, Emmett's Grange, Honeymead, Larkbarrow, Pickedstones, Pinkworthy, Red deer, Tom's Farm, Warren, Winstitchen, Wintershead.
More hedges were laid, the area of the Forest was surrounded by a wall, and a school, shop and Post Office opened in the growing hamlet of Simonsbath. Still there were difficulties attracting and keeping tenants to farm the land. Conditions remained hard, and incomes were low. Frederic had deliberately kept the area 'extraparochial' - which meant he did not have to levy parochial rates on his tenants, which he feared may be an additional barrier to them coming and staying on the land.
In 1845, the first move to create the promised church was made - but not by Frederic Knight. While he was abroad, 18 men put forward a petition stating that a church was now needed in Exmoor. On his return, Frederic was angry - not least because of the three tenants who signed the petition, only one subsequently stayed in the area, and of the 18 signatories, 15 were employed by the remaining 3. Frederic therefore resisted the request - considering the stated need for a church "greatly exaggerated" - but committed himself to" applying when it may be necessary".
By 1852, 281 people were living on Frederic Knight's estate and 30 children attended Simonsbath school. 14 farmhouses and cottages were built (13 tenanted), and miners were living in the area, (though the planned expansion of mining activity never materialised).
Frederic requested permission to build a church.
An ecclesiastical and civil parish was created - and it is still the largest parish in Somerset. A church for 209 people was planned. The building of the church was put out to contract by a government department, and was started in 1855. William Thornton, the first incumbent of the parish, inspected the building works. He was concerned to find the stone facing of the church to be "of inferior quality" and which subsequently flaked off in large quantities. Iron nails for the roof slates were used instead of the specified copper ones, which left the roof in holes following heavy gales. The vicarage also required much work" to replace bad fittings with good". However, the church was finally consecrated by the Bishop of Bath and Wells on 21 October 1856, "in bad weather". The total cost of the church and vicarage was £2,972 6s.
Sir Frederic and Lady Florence Knight died in 1897 and 1900 respectively. Their only son Frederic Sebright Winn Knight died before them in 1879 aged only 28. Their grave is at the front of the church.
Rev William Thornton - the first incumbent
William Thornton is described as "a vigorous personality - both physically and intellectually. He enjoyed country pursuits, was an excellent horse rider and fisherman, and both walked and rode prodigious distances'
Although William loved the area, the isolation of Simonsbath was not easy for his wife and young family. On 11 October 1860 the Thornton's third child became ill, and was not expected to live. William rode his horse to South Molton in under an hour with a broken stirrup. This was too much for the Thorntons, who became more anxious to leave Exmoor - "so as to be nearer to a town and a doctor"2. The winter of 1860-61 was especially severe - Simonsbath was cut off and food nearly ran out. William and his family moved to Dunsford, near Exeter in 1861.
"His five and a half years at Simonsbath are rightly recognised as those of a vigorous pioneer, who accomplished much at a time when Exmoor had barely shrugged off the Middle Ages"
In the churchyard: amongst the graves of many local families, you can find the gravestones of Anna Maria Burgess - a little girl from Simonsbath who was killed by her father in 1858, and whose body was found at the bottom of the old Wheal Eliza mine shaft.
Captain 'Ronnie' Wallace
international hunting icon, who died in 2002.
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