Arson to blame for Coxhill Farm fire

Investigators confirmed the blaze at Coxhill Farm was started deliberately in the early hours of Friday morning.

Fire crews from across Somerset were called to tackle the fire at around 4am on Friday morning after flames could be seen from as far away as the M5.

However by the time firefighters arrived the raging inferno had already destroyed much of the thatched cottage.

Damaris Reading, who lives next door at Liftknocker Cottage, described how she was woken up by another neighbour after the fire had taken hold.

She said: “We heard someone banging our door and shouting ‘There’s a fire next door – get out’.

“We rushed outside and saw the whole thing in flames.

The whole of our house was lit up – we were just in shock. “There was nothing we could do but just watch.”

Jane White, who lives at Turners Farm, said: “The sky was just lit up.

“It had really taken hold – the flames were coming out the roof.

“We’re not sure exactly when it started but it was well on its way by the time we came out.

“A couple of the firemen said to me it looks like it’s been ‘helped along’ by the way it was burning.”

The fire was so destructive it left Coxhill Farm, which is thought to be the oldest building in the village, in ruins.

Sedgemoor building inspectors deemed it necessary to pull down the remains which took the demolition crew just a few minutes – a sight which signalled the ‘end of an era’ for Clarence Clatworthy, whose family had owned the house for generations.

He told the Mercury of his disbelief the farm had gone. “I just can’t believe it’s all been pushed down – it’s scary.

“It’s a part of my life that’s now gone. It’s heart-wrenching. When you look now there’s just a big gap.

Mr Clatworthy, who lives in North Newton, just a few fields away from his childhood home, told how he woke in the early hours and thought the smell of burning was coming from his own home before seeing the flames.

He said: “I went down and saw the fire at the farm – it was like it wasn’t really happening. I just stood there in amazement ... I didn't know what to do.

“Knowing it was deliberate just makes it worse. You obviously don’t know what’s gone on but it’s not a nice thought – it was a lovely old farm.

I still can’t believe it’s gone. It’s the end of a lifetime – the end of an era.”

As yet it is not known who started the fire or why and investigating officers say that the extent of the damage will hamper any further investigation.

A police spokesman said: “It is not currently under investigation but that may change very quickly as the Fire and Rescue Service’s investigation unfolds.”