Farmbuildings At Park Farm

Farmbuildings at Park Farm

This model farmstead dates to the mid-19th century, though it incorporates a slightly earlier barn, with 20th-century alterations. Built around 1850 for the Evans Lombe family of Bylaugh Hall, the architect is unknown. The complex is constructed from flint with brick lacing and dressings, enhanced by ornamental embellishments, and is roofed with clay pantiles, though areas show 20th-century repairs.

The farmstead is arranged as two covered yards enclosing related outbuildings on a south-facing valley side. The barn sits to the north with the larger covered yard on its south side. To the west stands a range of shelter sheds with a subdivided yard to the south. The west side of this western yard is enclosed by a stable block. To the south lies a second, detached covered yard containing riding horse stables and a trap house. West of these are a cartshed and implement shed, with further open sheds on two sides and a smithy linking the southern sheds. The northern and southern ranges are separated by an east-west cartway.

The barn's north wall features a porch with shallow gable, incorporating a ventilator grille above double doors set within an arched opening. The flintwork is coursed with alternating courses of header brickwork, shallow brick pilasters, and blocked ventilation slits. The eaves are dentilled with a corbelled gable. The east gable has a ground floor door and a loading door to the granary above. The west gable originally held a blocked pitching hole at eaves level, now interrupted by the shelter shed roof line, and features corbelled kneelers and tile copings.

The west elevation shows the rear wall of the stables with two rectangular cast iron ventilators of a type used throughout the Evans Lombe estate, supplemented by cross-set ridge tiles. Gates provide access to the through cartway and rear walls of the cart lodges to the south.

The south elevation displays the south walls of the cart lodge and implement shed ranges to the west and the smaller covered yard to the east. A single square opening at the centre may indicate a former entry point for belt drive from an external engine once mounted on a raised platform. Below is a blocked arched opening, possibly for line shafting drive from a former horse gin. The small covered cattleyard is flanked by shelter sheds on either side, with a south wall measuring 1.3 metres high and a double doorway at the centre providing access to adjacent meadow. The hipped yard roof features a rectangular ventilator at the centre, with eaves ventilation provided by hinged shutters with pulley adjustors between the covered yard eaves and the lower eaves of abutting shelter sheds.

The east elevation shows the riding horse stable and gig house with double doors to the south and two stable doors to the right. A gateway provides access to the through cartway south of the blind rear wall of the large covered yard's shelter sheds. The stable backs onto the shelter sheds of the small covered yard. The cart lodges are arranged around a yard in front of the smithy. The large northern covered yard matches the small yard's design but is longer, with an extended ventilator. It is enclosed by raised walkways behind the shelter sheds, now subdivided.

The riding horse stable contains hay racks, mangers, and tether rings for ten horses, with standings subdivided by a partition. An access stair at the barn's east end leads to the granary, which features a sloping desk at the top for tally keeping and a chain sack hoist. The granary is subdivided by fixed storage bins. Roof trusses throughout are 19th-century construction with through purlins. Except for the covered yards, internal fittings have been removed.

This farmstead is of outstanding significance as a substantially complete example of model farm development within the High Farming movement. It is particularly notable as a unique and advanced design centred on the use of covered yards for the scientific management of cattle, a system that characterised the agricultural improvements of the mid and late 19th century.