Farmbuildings To North-East Of Sleekburn Cottage Farmhouse

The farm buildings located to the north-east of Sleekburn Cottage Farmhouse were constructed around 1800 and are arranged in a foldyard plan. They are built from squared stone with cut dressings and feature Welsh slate roofs, except for the north end of the west range and the west end of the north range, which have asbestos sheet roofs. The buildings surround a yard that opens to the south.

The north range is primarily single-storeyed, with the exception of a two-storey central barn. This barn has a doorway flanked by Gothick windows, one of which retains its original head with intersecting glazing bars. Above the doorway are five slatted windows, and the barn features coped gables. On either side of the barn are shelter sheds with three-bay segmental arcades. The single-storey east range has a segmental-arched entry and a boarded door, with a hipped roof sloping to the right. The single-storey west range also has a three-bay segmental arcade, with the right-hand arch leading to a passage through the range. This range includes two boarded doors and a small casement window to the right, while the left end has been altered and is now part of the adjacent farmhouse.

The rear elevation of the barn features a cart entrance with a timber lintel and a blocked opening that once accommodated a drive shaft for a former gingang. The rear of the east range displays boarded double doors under a timber lintel, a three-bay segmental arcade, two boarded doors, and three part-slatted windows. Some arches of the arcades have been blocked with stone or brick, with later openings added to the blocking.

Despite some alterations, these buildings represent an unusual example of a smaller planned farm from around 1800 and were part of the estate of Bishop Shute Barrington of Durham, who was active from 1791 to 1826. A later brick shed located to the south of the yard and an altered range in the centre of the yard are not considered of special interest.