L Shaped Range Of Outbuildings At Oak Farm

A range of farm outbuildings, dating from the late 18th or early 19th century, with minor 20th-century alterations. The buildings comprise a threshing barn, stables, and cowhouse and were empty at the time of inspection. Constructed primarily of regularly coursed squared red sandstone with ashlar dressings, a small area of red brick rebuilding is also present. The roofs are covered with slate laid to diminishing courses.

The barn is aligned east-west at the south end of the yard, with a lower range extending northwards from the north-east corner. The barn is a tall, three-bay structure with opposed double doors beneath shallow segmental arches, giving access to the threshing floor. These doors are vertically-boarded with ledged and braced framing and formerly had separate thresholds. The north-facing yard elevation has two rows of breather slits in the upper walling, with a single doorway to the west of the threshing door, providing access to a low calf house. The south-facing rear elevation features a pitching eye in the form of an oval oculus on either side of the central doorway and each gable is also punctuated with an oculus.

The interior of the barn has shallow king post roof trusses supporting a single purlin roof with a ridge board. The trusses have bolted king posts with jowelled ends. A masonry partition wall separates the threshing bay from a raised floor to the west, accessed via a tall, semi-circular headed arched opening, now infilled with boarding.

The stable and cowhouse range is a single-storey building with an overloft, containing stabling at the south end and cowhouse accommodation at the north end. The stable portion has tall stable doors; one bay is constructed of stone whilst the other is of brick. The cowhouse to the north has two doorways, each with a 4-centred arched head. The doorway to the south leads to a feed passage, with a remnant of a stone wall on the left side. An oval oculus is present to the overloft, alongside a taller taking-in door to the left.

The range of farm outbuildings dates from the 19th century and represents an important contextual element in the wider development of the farmstead over three centuries, illustrating the farming economy of the early 19th century and forming part of the setting of a 17th-century house.