Park Barn Farmhouse

Former farmhouse, now subdivided into two flats. The building has a late-18th or early-19th century front elevation but likely contains a mid-18th century core, with a mid-19th century single-storey rear extension.

MATERIALS AND STRUCTURE

The farmhouse is built in red brick laid in Flemish bond, except for the north-west side which is in English bond. The roof is now covered in 20th century tiles. Two external side brick chimneys are visible. The plan form is that of a central staircase house with end chimneys, modified by the later rear extension. The building is two storeys with two windows across the front. The roof comprises three hipped ranges, with the rear range divided into three smaller hips.

EXTERIOR

The principal south-east front features two tripartite wooden sash windows of 20 panes with rubbed brick voussoirs. The central wooden doorcase displays an open pediment, pilasters, panelled reveals and a rectangular fanlight above a 20th century four-panelled door. On the south-western elevation sits an external chimneystack, a 12-pane sash window and a smaller 20th century metal-framed casement. The ground floor has a 20th century wooden casement window within an earlier surround incorporating rubbed brick voussoirs. The single-storey extension to the west has a 20th century tiled roof and metal-framed casements. The north-west elevation has two first floor 20th century casement windows; the southern one is partially obscured by the extension, which also features 20th century metal-framed casement windows.

INTERIOR

A central straight flight staircase rises from the entrance, with an 18th or early-19th century three-plank cupboard door beneath it fitted with handmade iron hinges. The original entrances to the south-east and north-east rooms were later blocked but still retain their original architraves. The south-east ground floor room contains two wooden spine beams, one supported on a chamfered upright post, an open fireplace and a wide four-panelled door with an original lock mechanism. A north passage leads to the north-east room, which features a panelled spine beam, original folding wooden window shutters and a wooden fireplace surround with pilasters and an oval carved patère. The south-east room preserves the outline of a large tapering chimney on its west wall, though only a 20th century fireplace is now visible. A former entrance in the north wall, originally connecting to the adjoining room, has been blocked with brickwork. The wide four-panelled door in the west wall was the original back door prior to the extension's construction. The first floor north-east room has a wooden fireplace surround with pilasters, as does the north-west room, which also retains four-panelled doors. The roof is constructed of softwood with ridgepiece and collars. A date of 1742 is reported to be carved on one of the rafters.

HISTORY

Although a roof rafter is reported to bear the date 1742, the exterior appearance is consistent with the late-18th or early-19th century, with an early to mid-19th century rear extension. The building appears on the 1872 Ordnance Survey map as the farmhouse for Park Barn Farm. Its outline, including the later extension, has remained unchanged since then, except for a conservatory shown attached to the south side on the 1907 map, which has since been demolished. The building is no longer a working farmhouse and was subdivided into two flats by 2010.