Barn at Winters Farm, Rettendon

The barn at Winters Farm in Rettendon is a timber-framed structure, likely dating from the late 15th century or early 16th century, with a wagon porch added in the 17th century or early 18th century. It is part of a small farmstead that also includes a farmhouse and a later cart lodge, both of which have been significantly altered.

The barn features heavy-section timber framing set on a deep brick plinth, with external weatherboarding and a hipped roof covered in red clay tiles. It is oriented from north-east to south-west, with the wagon porch located on the south-west section of the south-east elevation, giving it a roughly L-shaped footprint. This footprint is partially obscured by later additions on three sides.

Externally, the barn consists of four bays and has a hipped roof. The east elevation includes an off-centre full-height wagon porch with a hipped roof and vertically-planked 20th-century double doors. Above the doorway, there is a multi-pane window and a small single-light opening. The rest of the external elevations are hidden by later single-storey additions.

Inside, the barn's walls are made up of principal posts with closely spaced vertical studs that are mortised into the wall and sole plates. The wall framing is reinforced in various areas by diagonal external tension braces. The posts feature jowled heads that support substantial tie beams, some of which have angle bracing. The roof structure is of the collar purlin, crown-post type, with square-section crown posts that have longitudinal up-bracing supporting the purlins. These purlins support collar beams, each carrying a pair of common rafters. The framing of the added wagon porch is similar to that of the barn but is constructed from less substantial timbers and includes some supplementary 20th-century members within the barn wall framing.