New Barns

New Barns is a farmhouse, now a house, located on the north-east side of Yalding Benover Road. The building originates from the 15th or early 16th century, with substantial rebuilding in the 16th and early 17th centuries, a brick addition in the 18th century, and alterations in the 19th and 20th centuries. It underwent restoration and partial rebuilding around 1972.

The main structure is timber-framed with rendered infilling, except for an area of brick to the lower part of the right hall bay. The right cross-wing is rendered on the ground floor and timber-framed above, hung with banded plain and fishscale tiles on the front gable end. An 18th-century brick addition in stretcher bond forms the ground floor, with banded tile-hanging continuing from the cross-wing to the first floor. The roof is covered in plain tiles.

The building layout comprises an open hall of two timber-framed bays, with the right bay probably originally shorter. The right end bay, possibly rebuilt slightly later as a cross-wing, is flush to the rear and projects forward, featuring a continuous jetty along the long left side that becomes internal within the main range. The storeyed left end bay and most of the open hall were rebuilt in the 16th or early 17th century with higher eaves than previously. A short 18th-century addition stands at right-angles to the right cross-wing, flush with the front gable end. The building is two storeys, with the cross-wing and 18th-century addition having higher eaves and a slightly higher ridge than the main range.

A sandstone plinth supports the main range, with brick plinths to the rest. The timber-framing shows broadly-spaced studding to the main range, including two tension braces to the left end bay and two closely-set full-height posts towards the left end of the hall, with a higher midrail to the left hall bay. The long left side of the wing displays broadly-spaced studding to each floor, an arch brace to the ground floor, two tension braces to the first floor, and solid-spandrel brackets under the jetty.

Roofing details include a half-hipped roof to the left of the main range, a cross-wing roof half-hipped to the rear and hipped with a large gablet to the front, with the hip returning along the 18th-century addition, which is hipped to its right end. A projecting red and grey brick stack with two diagonally-set flues rises from the left gable end. Additional red and grey brick ridge stacks sit at the left end of the right hall bay and along the ridge between the cross-wing and right addition. A small gabled eaves dormer with the initials N.B. is positioned under the main-range stack.

The fenestration is irregular, comprising five windows: a small single-light window under the eaves to the left end bay, another to the left end of the hall, a three-light window to the left hall bay, a pair of single-light casements to the front gable of the cross-wing, and a two-light casement to the 18th-century addition. A ribbed and boarded door is located to the right of the main-range stack. Lean-to structures are present to the rear: one to the left of the main range and another to the right side of the cross-wing behind the 18th-century addition.

The interior features exposed timber framing. The central hall truss has a cambered hollow-chamfered arch-braced tie-beam. An arch-braced truss with jowled principal posts stands at the left end of the hall. A brick fireplace with stone wall backing onto the cross-passage features a chamfered re-used bressumer. The hall is covered by a clasped-purlin roof with diminishing principal rafters. The front bay of the cross-wing is fitted with an axial tie-beam and short solid-spandrel arch-braces. An edge-halved scarf joint is visible on the cross-wing wall-plate. The 18th-century addition displays long jowls, straight tension braces, and thin-scantling studding.