Barn at Squerryes Lodge

Barn at Squerryes Lodge

This is the end bay of an early 15th-century medieval aisled barn, with 18th and/or 19th-century additions. It was renovated between 2019 and 2021 to create domestic stores and subsidiary accommodation.

The building is timber-framed on a partial ragstone plinth, with the later fabric to the south standing on a brick plinth. Walls are faced in weatherboard, except to the north which is red brick. The roof was re-covered in clay tiles during the 2019-21 renovation.

The barn is positioned to the west of Squerryes Lodge, with its length running north-east to south-west. It comprises principally the end bay of an aisled barn with a later lean-to to the south. In the 18th or 19th century, stables and stores were built into the aisle at the north end of the barn and partially into the main space of the surviving bay, with another store created in the east aisle. These spaces have been renovated as stores, a garage and a garden room. Within the main bay of the barn is a timber mezzanine, with one of the stores running beneath. The lean-to outshut against the south end, probably dating to the 19th century, runs the full width of the building's footprint and has been renovated as subsidiary residential accommodation including a kitchenette, WC and shower room.

The building has a curious appearance because of its truncated length. It has a deep roof typical of aisled barns, hipped to the north and terminating abruptly to the south with a gable end now glazed to reveal the internal framing, adjoined by the lower hipped roof of the 19th-century outshut which has a large roof light. The north end elevation is formed of two pairs of double timber doors to the left and two single doors to the right, the latter flanked by red brickwork laid in Flemish bond with a six-pane casement window to either side. The other elevations are clad in dark stained weatherboard with an assortment of window and door openings focused within the outshut to the south. The joinery of these is 21st-century. To the east and west the frame of the barn stands on a ragstone plinth.

Internally, the barn is the full end bay of the early building, including aisles to the east, west and north end, truncated to the south along the bay line. At the south end, aisle posts are buttressed by long curved passing shores. The posts carry a tie beam across the width of the building which supports a tall central crown post with curved down braces; this carries a collar-purlin upon which the collars of the individual roof trusses rest. This arrangement is typical of a 15th-century aisled barn in Kent. The north end of the building, however, has a more unusual arrangement; the wall posts, aisle posts and tie beam are as found to the south, but the tie beam lacks a crown post. It is not clear at this time whether a crown post has been lost or whether there was never one in this position; the collar-purlin instead meets the central rafter of the hip-end of the roof and is jointed here by a curved brace. The aisle plates continue northwards, jettying out beyond the end aisle posts, supported by curved up-braces. A further tie beam connects the ends of the jettied aisle plates, supported at its centre by a post with curved up-braces to the tie beam.

There is good survival of early wall framing and studding along the sides of the building, although most of the smaller timbers are now enclosed behind 21st-century finishes. Major structural timbers have been left exposed, as has the roof structure. There is renewed timber amongst the rafters, evidence of some modification in the frame, and repairs to joints have been made recently, but much of the surviving frame is of considerable age. The former stables and store inserted at the north end of the barn (now garage and stores) are enclosed externally in brick; the original framing of the barn's north wall has been lost to brickwork and the various openings.