Manor Grange

Manor Grange

This is a former threshing barn dating from the second half of the 16th century, with later additions and alterations to the roof frame. The building is timber framed and clad in weatherboarding, though some original infill is visible externally and some underbuilding has been replaced in 20th century blockwork. The roof is shallow-pitched with red clay pantiles. A lean-to outshut on the north wall has a roof of black-glazed pantiles laid to the same pitch as the main roof. The main axis of the barn runs east-west. The outshut has two double doorways flanking a window and appears to be of 20th century construction, though it incorporates older timber members. The centre of the south wall contains the wagon-entrance to the threshing floor. Flanking the doorway are two ranges of 20th century agricultural buildings built of blockwork and asbestos-cement sheeting. A modern lean-to extension wraps around the east gable and the south wall return; these 20th century additions are not of special interest.

Interior

The timber frame is exposed internally and is arranged in seven structural bays delineated by arch-braced tiebeams on jowled principal posts. The threshing area occupied the three centre bays. The wall studs are full-height without a mid-rail in the north and south walls; the plinth and sole-plate are largely obscured by the modern concrete floor, which is set above the original floor level. The wagon entrance to the threshing floor is central in the south wall; the doors have been altered and reduced, but evidence of the original door pintles and the middlestree survive in the soffit of the wall plate. In the corresponding bay in the north wall the wall studs have been removed; this bay probably contained a winnowing door framed into the studwork. The principal posts to the east side of the centre bay have up-braces to the wallplates.

The pairs of outer bays are narrower and are partitioned off and floored at approximately mid-height. The intermediate floors are each supported on a central beam running north-south and set on mid-height jowls hewn from the principal posts. The outer ends of the first-floor joists are carried on mid-rails in the gable and internal partition walls. The partitions flanking the threshing area are of studwork with daub infill on a backing of lath and wattle. The mid-rail of the inner partitions is tenoned and pegged into the principal posts. The wall infill at low level has been replaced with timber boarding and concrete block. Within each upper chamber is a central tiebeam at wall plate level, that to the east arch-braced. In the eastern upper chamber there is evidence of windows with diagonally-set square mullions in the north, south and east walls, all with the remains of shutter-grooves. There is two-way up-bracing to the wall plate and gable tie from the corner posts. The western upper chamber is lined out and the framing is not visible.

The original queenpost roof has been reconstructed to a shallower pitch, with the queenposts shortened to accommodate this. Many of the original rafters and plates have been re-used, but are no longer in their original positions.

This is a rare and important survival of a 16th century timber-framed threshing barn with two-storey bays flanking the central threshing area. The survival of mullioned windows to the upper floor at the east end gives the building added historical significance. The frame survives substantially intact up to wallplate level. Despite some alterations, the surviving historic fabric is of national importance.