East Barn At Nine Ashes Farm 15 Metres North West Of Dovecote

The East Barn at Nine Ashes Farm, located 15 metres northwest of the dovecote, is a 17th-century barn, likely constructed for Peter Calvert after 1642. This wide, unaisled barn features seven bays and measures approximately 27 feet in width. It is timber-framed and weatherboarded, standing on a red brick plinth laid in English bond. The barn has a steep old red tiled roof that is half-hipped at the eastern end, with a central mid-stray.

The eastern three bays were converted into a mill in the 18th century, which involved the insertion of a heavy floor structure supported by massive square posts and a runway in the roof from a platform cantilevered over the mid-stray. The original structure showcases high-quality chamfered carpentry, including jowled posts and long curved braces supporting cambered tie beams. The roof features inclined queen strut and collar trusses with two butt purlins on the back roofslope, the upper purlin having paired wind braces. The rafters are tenoned into the lower purlin but pass over the upper purlin, and many assembly marks can be found on the trusses.

This fine early 17th-century barn gains additional interest from its conversion into a mill at the eastern end, which includes substantial 18th-century carpentry in softwood. It is part of the picturesque historic farm group at Nine Ashes.