The Ministry of Health Inspector's Inquiry 1937

Mr Palfreman owned 3 cottages and outbuildings. His Solicitor said they were very nice and pleasantly situated cottages, although the Sanitary Inspector disagreed. The Solicitor said that Mr Palfreman had never received any complaints from his tenants, and that he himself would suffer considerable loss and hardship if such an unreasonable Clearance Order was made. In his view the cottages were in a more than average state of repair for that type of property (cob and thatch construction). The tenants had made no complaints and indeed had in one instance expressed considerable appreciation of the property. His client would be unable to bear the losses brought by clearance.

Mr Dallyn owned 3 cottages and outbuildings. He had never had any complaints. It was not half as bad as had been stated. Dr W G Mortimer said the whole property was unfit for human habitation. Mr Dallyn said the cottages were not badly out of order, they had cost him a lot of money and he felt it was hard on a man of his age to have his cottages taken away. He had had them for 12 years and during that time he had spent £50 or £60 on repairs. The Inspector asked for details of this work, but Mr Dallyn could not provide any.

The Inspector then dealt with a fowls house and a wash house owned by Mr F R Maunder, who was represented by his brother, Mr L Maunder. Mr Palfreman's Solicitor pointed out that there was no evidence of alternative accommodation, to which the Inspector replied that re-housing was outside the terms of reference of the inquiry. He would inspect the property.

There is no press report of his findings, but local memory is of dwellings in very poor repair, of inadequate sanitation and water supply, and of pest infestation. The inspector made up his mind, and on the front page of the Gazette for 24th June is the Clearance Order, with vacation to be completed within ten months.

It is interesting to note that the local Witheridge doctor, Dr Ernest A Price, owned one of the cottages, with its woodshed and water closet. Any opinions he had on the matter did not appear in the press.

On the 17th June of the same year under the headline "Witheridge Housing Site" the Gazette reported the Rural District Council's Finance Committee had been informed that the District Valuer had approved of the new Witheridge housing site being purchased at a cost of £200. This was, and is, a little further up and on the other side of the road from Ansteys Court. So the plea for alternative accommodation was in fact answered.

South Molton Gazette April 15th 1937: Witheridge Housing Inquiry Clearance Order affecting Anstey's Court - 22 buildings including outhouses and woodsheds. One of the owners, Mr Palfreyman, said there was little wrong with the cottages and he had had no complaints, Dr Mortimer said they were all unfit for human habitation.