Great Barn To West Of Manor Farm Yard

This is a large aisled barn, likely dating from around 1300, with significant rebuilding occurring in the late 17th or 18th century. It is situated to the west of the Manor Farm Yard on Bury Street in Ruislip. The barn measures approximately 102 feet by 32 feet and runs north-south. The exterior is weatherboarded with a hipped tiled roof and has a brick and flint rubble plinth. A central entrance is located on the west wall, and there is evidence of a former entrance on the east wall. The side walls have been rebuilt and raised.

The interior shows evidence of a rebuilt roof, incorporating principal trusses and two tiers of side purlins, with the upper purlins clasped between collars and the lower purlins staggered and tenoned into the principal rafters. Raking queen struts are present between the tie beams and principal rafters. Many of the common rafters appear to be reused elements, potentially dating from the original construction. Cross frames incorporate passing braces between the tie beams and aisle tie beams, featuring an open, notched lap joint. Originally, these braces extended down to meet the aisle walls. Arcade posts have flared heads, and straight, square-section braces connect them to the tie beams and arcade plates. Angle ties are present between the tie beams and arcade plates, with short dragon pieces connecting the angle ties to the corner posts, supporting the hip rafters. The arcade plates display various scarf joints, with some dating back to the 13th century, as determined by Cecil Hewett. The upper face of each cross frame is oriented towards the south. Carpenter’s marks are visible in the form of long, inscribed Roman numerals. Evidence suggests that the aisle wall plates originally passed above the aisle tie beams, a technique known as reversed assembly.

This barn is considered a remarkable example of an early timber-frame aisled barn, comparable to those at Cressing Temple and Coggeshall in Essex and possibly the oldest surviving timber-framed building in the Greater London area. The barn was studied and reported on by Cecil Hewett in 1980.