Barn At Manor Farm With Attached Stable Block

The barn at Manor Farm, built in the late 18th century (1789-1791) and altered in the 19th and 20th centuries, was commissioned by Peter and Elizabeth Upcher of Ormesby Hall. It is constructed of brick, brick and flint, with pantile roof coverings. The complex consists of a barn aligned north-south, a stable range extending eastwards at the south end, a shelter shed with a lean-to roof extending eastwards at the north end, and an integral cart lodge with a granary above, separated from the barn by a brick wall.

The barn’s south gable features tumbled brickwork to the verges, small ventilation slits to the apex, and semi-circular openings above eaves level. A central doorway leads to a lofted feed store. The east side has a gabled porch, reduced in size to accommodate double doors. A 20th-century extension is attached to the north side, with a date stone inscribed "P.E. 1791". The north gable forms a cart lodge, featuring a massive central post with knee braces, reflecting a mid-19th century remodelling, with the granary’s gable apex now covered in corrugated iron sheeting. A blocked central doorway with a datestone inscribed "P.E.1790" is on the west side, alongside a 19th-century loose box.

The stable range extends eastwards from the barn's north end. Its south elevation has two stable doors (now reduced in size), with flanking windows and a pitching hole above. The east gable has a pitching hole and a datestone inscribed "P.E.1789”.

Inside the barn, the roof features trusses with nailed, lapped, dovetailed collars, and straight diagonal braces in the end bays. Two tiers of staggered tenoned purlins are pegged into the principal rafters, which are unrelated to the tie beams. A threshing floor and east porch are located at the barn’s north end. The stable range has inverted knee braces to the first floor and stop-chamfered spine beams with run-out stops. The roof carpentry detail matches that of the barn, and the stable is linked to the barn by a stone-flagged passage with tack pegs on the wall.

This group of buildings, dated to a close period and comprising a late 18th-century barn with contemporary stabling, is representative of the expansion of arable farming in the Broadland area during its peak from 1790 to 1810. The barn and stable together form a rare survival and are closely related to the adjacent farmhouse.