Thatched barn south of The Barnfield

Thatched Barn South of The Barnfield

This threshing barn is thought to date from the 18th century or late 17th century, with an attached cart shed added in the 19th century.

The barn is timber-framed, standing on a brick plinth which has been patched with concrete, particularly along the south elevation. The walls are weatherboarded, with most boards being replacements. The hipped roof is thatched, with the ridge recently renewed.

The attached cart shed is constructed of flint with brick quoins and a central band of three brick courses. The east part of its south elevation, probably representing the original opening, is weatherboarded. The roof is covered with clay tiles, with modern replacements to the south. Later brick buttresses have been added at the west end, north and south. The uppermost section of the north elevation appears to have been recently rebuilt or repointed.

The rectangular barn originally stood on a north-south alignment with three main bays, the central threshing bay being slightly wider, flanked by narrow aisle return bays or terminal outshots to north and south. The southern outshot has been removed. The long cart shed projects from the north end of the west elevation.

A wide wagon opening occupies the centre of the east elevation. The former porch has been removed and the opening reduced to wall plate height, with modern double doors now fitted and the roof eaves continuous. On the west elevation, the opposing opening is filled with corrugated metal sheeting; the roof eaves here have always been continuous. The roof to the south elevation is half-hipped, due to the removal of the terminal outshot.

Internally, the barn comprises three aisled main bays with a shorter end bay to the north forming the return of the aisle or terminal outshot, originally reflected in a matching half bay to the south. Bay divisions are marked by slightly jowled arcade posts with slightly arched braces to the tie beam and arcade plate, and with aisle ties to the aisle plate. The posts stand on transverse post plates on brick sill walls, with downward aisle shores descending from the posts below the arcade plate. A narrower axial post at the centre of the north arcade may be a later insertion.

The roof structure comprises coupled rafters with collars to the trusses and staggered purlins tenoned into the principal rafters. Scarf joints are of the lipped and halved form that came into use in the 17th century. Carpenter's marks were identified on the south face of the joint between the arcade post and the brace to the tie beam to the north of the entrance. Wall studs are evenly spaced throughout. The timber frame is pegged, and the majority of original timbers survive, though there has been replacement and reinforcement including a small number of braces and a greater number of wall studs. Many of the rafters above the aisles have been replaced with chestnut poles.

Replacement timbers are nailed rather than pegged. Above the former wagon entrance to the east, the roof structure has been lowered with chestnut pole rafters inserted and secured by a narrow purlin. The wall plate continues above the western opening, which appears to have been lower than that to the east, allowing for the exit of empty waggons. At the south end, the aisle return has been removed with the roof structure truncated below the aisle plate; the arcade frame remains with additional timbers affixed to support the southern weatherboarding. The addition of the 19th-century cart shed led to the removal of roof covering to the north-west and replacement of rafters in softwood, and an access opening was made between two studs.

The cart shed's roof structure is understood to have been replaced during the early 20th century, with subsequent repairs.