Lower Farm

Lower Farm, Childerley

The Lower Farm dates to around 1847 and forms a substantial courtyard complex originally comprising three south-facing stock yards with open-fronted shelter sheds arranged on an extended E-shaped courtyard plan. The shelter sheds that formerly occupied the north and east sides of the east yard have been demolished. The yards were originally enclosed on the south side by walls with gates providing access. Behind the east yard are the remains of a series of sheep dips that were fed by water diverted from the adjacent stream.

The buildings are timber-framed and clad externally with weatherboarding. They rest on brick plinths. Original slate roofing survives on all buildings except the east barn, which has been re-roofed with corrugated iron.

Two substantial barns running north-south divide the yards and form the principal internal divisions of the complex. Each barn comprises nine bays. The east barn has a lower hipped section of two bays at its south end. Both barns have open gables at their south ends and centrally placed opposing doors—one flush with the barn wall and the other set into a gabled porch projecting into the east and west yards respectively. The east barn retains both sets of original double doors, and both barns retain other original single doors in their sides.

The west barn has a hipped roof with queen post trusses and purlins held in place by wooden chucks and arched braces to the tie beams. The east barn, which has a narrower span, is supported on a higher brick plinth. Its roof comprises straight braced tie beams with clasped purlins to the collars. The barns were used for storage and distribution of chaff and straw required to feed and bed the sheep, cattle and horses kept in the adjacent yards.

The shelter sheds are each of nine bays with king-post roof trusses. Mangers survive in the back of one shed. Most of the bases of the arcade posts have been replaced with concrete pillars. Lean-to shelter sheds around the central yard and the surviving portion of the east yard are later additions.

The long barn at Childerley Hall Upper Farm is inscribed with the date 1847, confirmed by documentary evidence. Lower Farm was likely built at the same time or shortly after the Upper Farm. An advertisement in The Times dated 1853 describes both farms as "consisting of six yards, with the requisite barns, stabling, threshing machine". Immediately to the south of Lower Farm are the earthwork remains of the medieval village of Great Childerley, and to the east are much overgrown remains of four fishponds set in pairs, probably contemporary with the Hall. The complex represents a well-documented, largely intact and innovative mid-19th-century model farm.