The Hermitage is a Grade II listed building in the Somerset local planning authority area, England. First listed on 27 November 1984. Hunting lodge. 3 related planning applications.
The Hermitage
- WRENN ID
- first-loggia-equinox
- Grade
- II
- Local Planning Authority
- Somerset
- Constituency
- Frome and East Somerset MP: Anna Sabine (LD)
- Country
- England
- Date first listed
- 27 November 1984
- Type
- Hunting lodge
- Address
- The Hermitage, Witham Friary, BA11 5HL
- OS grid reference
- ST 746 387
- Coordinates
- 51.14738, -2.36443
- Source
- Historic England listing
Description
The Hermitage is a hunting lodge that has been converted into a dwelling. It likely dates from the 15th century but was completely rebuilt around 1860, with the design attributed to William Butterfield for the Duke of Somerset. The building is constructed from local limestone rubble, featuring some ashlar dressed quoins, and has a 20th-century double span plain tile roof.
The structure is rectangular and has an angular porch at the center of the facade, along with a 20th-century wing at the rear in a Gothic style. It is one and a half storeys tall and consists of three bays. On either side of the facade, there are stone mullioned windows with four lights and trefoil heads, set in canted bays topped with stone hipped roofs. The first floor of the porch has a two-light window, below which is a single light ogee-headed opening, some of which are blocked. The outer door opening features a depressed arch and a label with elaborate stops, leading to a ribbed and studded door.
Inside, the right ground floor room contains an elaborate depressed arch fireplace. The interior also features Gothic-style doors and shuttering, as well as reused medieval glass in the upper window of the porch.
Local climate
The Hermitage receives an average of 860 mm of rain a year. This makes it wetter than 60% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is greater than that of 64% of listed buildings.
It experiences an average of 36 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 62% of listed buildings. Of these, 15 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.
Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.
More on this building
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- Full EPC report — heating system, energy costs, size, glazing, construction etc.
- No sale records on file
- Related listed building consents — 3 applications
- Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
- Flood risk assessment
- Radon risk assessment
- Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
Matched applications, energy data and sale records are assembled automatically and may contain errors. Flag incorrect data.
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