18th Century
Back in 1786, we see Somerset in all its former glory when it included all the land from Minehead to Wincanton as well as the cities of Bath, Wells and Bristol. To the west of Taunton, if you know where to look, you can see the land where Oakfield stands today According to the Tithe Map and Apportionment document of that year, “Field 685, Named: Beats. Pasture owned and occupied by James Chappell. Tithe: 19 shillings to the Vicar.”
The Devon & Somerset Railway
Nearly one hundred years after the map above was made, the Devon & Somerset Railway opened. The line ran from Taunton to Barnstaple. Five passenger trains and two goods trains ran every day - heading to stations in some very small villages across both counties. The line ran immediately behind where Oakfield currently stands. If you look at a satellite image, you can see the suspiciously straight hedges and odd gaps where a railway track would just fit in.
The Man Who Built It
Born in 1868 in West Derby, John Hope Simpson held numerous government posts before being elected as Liberal MP for Taunton in the general election of 1922. He was re-elected in 1923 but defeated in 1924. He then started to build Oakfield. He went to Greece where he was vice-president for the Refugee settlement Committee. In 1931 he became director general of the Chinese Government Flood Relief Commission. After his retirement he went to Newfoundland involving himself in the Labrador Development Company, Port Hope Simpson is named after him. In 1937, after his return home, he was knighted.
After his death in 1961, he left £29,764 to an unknown heir. Oakfield was then sold to the Dunn family.
End Of The Line
With passenger numbers dropping as people turned to their cars to get around, the last passenger train ran to Barnstaple in 1966. Some freight trains continued to run but the line was torn up in 1970. Oakfield, a house that would before have been ideal for train enthusiasts, was now returning back to the peace and quiet of previous centuries.
Echoes Of The Past
You can still see the evidence of the railway around the estate. The old bridge was a lot more obvious until the Highways Authority filled it in and now we just have a rather hard-to-explain little hill where no hill should be.
New Beginnings
In late 2013, we bought the house from the Dunn family. You can see what it used to look like in the plans opposite. Then began a two year marathon of restoration and extension. A new kitchen was added, two new bedrooms, the gym and the playroom. Every floor, wire, pipe and window was replaced. However we tried, wherever possible, to retain the old features - the architraves around the doors with the distinctive “kink”, the fireplaces, the main stairs.
In 2016, Oakfield opened its doors to its first guests. And you could be next.
