History of Gorge View
With many thanks to David Mather and Susan Shaw of the Cheddar U3A History group who did a project on the house and which provide much of the detail and some of the images seen here.
Gorge View stands on the site of an old property previously known as Gould’s cottage. There is a two-centred arched doorway which is compatible with late medieval construction (1500 or earlier). The old cottage was partially demolished in the early 20th century and Gorge View was built on its original footprint.
Gorge View stands on the site of an old property previously known as Gould’s cottage. There is a two-centred arched doorway which is compatible with late medieval construction (1500 or earlier). The old cottage was partially demolished in the early 20th century and Gorge View was built on its original footprint.
Early History 17th century to 1861
From documents in the 1839 Tithe Map of Cheddar clearly marks the footprints of the modern-day house and cottage, and they are part of the substantial Fitzwater Manor estate. It was leased and occupied by Jesse Tibbots, and the Tibbots/Tibbitts/Tibbetts family feature a lot in Cheddar history of the time. From this link there is a belief that the earliest reference so far found to the house is in 1684 when Henry Tibbitts took lease of a house on the Fitzwater estate with land similar in size (1 acre garden and orchard and 2 acres of arable) to that associated with the house in the 1839 Tithe record.
The holding came with the right of common pasture on Cheddar Moor and Cheddar Hill and the customary tenants had to attend the Fitzwater manor court every time it sat (“suit of Court”). The lease for this property was granted to Henry’s son George Tibbitts in 1728 and then in turn to his son George Tibbitts the younger in 1746 which he (George Tibbits the younger) held until the 1780s (Fitzwater estate leases). It appears that the lease was granted to a third George Tibbitts (Cheddar land tax) who died between 1799 and 1801, and thereafter his wife Hannah became principal lessee until her death in 1825.
A new Fitzwater lease for the dwelling house and its three acres was granted to George and Hannah’s son Jesse Tibbott and his wife Lydia who were listed as the principal tenants at the time of the Tithe map in 1839. The 1841 Cheddar census gives the age of Jesse Tibbotts as 65yrs and that of his wife Hannah, as 50yrs. Jesse died in 1850 but was survived by his wife Hannah who is described in the 1851 census as a landed proprietor in Bridge Hill. Hannah Tibbotts died in 1857 and the lease of the house, garden and orchard was taken over for a short time by Hannah and Jesse’s daughter, Sarah Hill (nee Tibbotts) who was proprietor of other properties close by.
The holding came with the right of common pasture on Cheddar Moor and Cheddar Hill and the customary tenants had to attend the Fitzwater manor court every time it sat (“suit of Court”). The lease for this property was granted to Henry’s son George Tibbitts in 1728 and then in turn to his son George Tibbitts the younger in 1746 which he (George Tibbits the younger) held until the 1780s (Fitzwater estate leases). It appears that the lease was granted to a third George Tibbitts (Cheddar land tax) who died between 1799 and 1801, and thereafter his wife Hannah became principal lessee until her death in 1825.
A new Fitzwater lease for the dwelling house and its three acres was granted to George and Hannah’s son Jesse Tibbott and his wife Lydia who were listed as the principal tenants at the time of the Tithe map in 1839. The 1841 Cheddar census gives the age of Jesse Tibbotts as 65yrs and that of his wife Hannah, as 50yrs. Jesse died in 1850 but was survived by his wife Hannah who is described in the 1851 census as a landed proprietor in Bridge Hill. Hannah Tibbotts died in 1857 and the lease of the house, garden and orchard was taken over for a short time by Hannah and Jesse’s daughter, Sarah Hill (nee Tibbotts) who was proprietor of other properties close by.
