Farm Complex At Coombe Hill Farm

BARFORD ST JOHN AND ST MICHAEL

531/0/10004 Farm complex at Coombe Hill Farm 24-JUN-03

II

Farm complex, comprising house, barn and stables, with associated (and attached)cartsheds, granaries and shelters. From c.1800. Ironstone, with roofs of stone slates, clay tiles and corrugated metal sheeting. Rectangular, walled farmyard entered from south, with barn centrally placed in north side, stables and granaries to west and house to east. Barn: South elevation has central projecting porch with hipped stone slate roof, plain plank double doors. To right, lean-to with corrugated sheet roof, central doorway with 'stable' door flanked by two windows. North elevation has similar porch, flanked by timber lean-to shelters with corrugated sheet roofs. To west, a four-bay cartshed, open to north and supported on timber posts, with slates to south and corrugated metal sheeting to north side to roof. Stables: of two separate builds, indicated by straight joint and slight change in roof pitch. Roof of ridged clay tiles, partly repaired and replaced with corrugated metal sheet. West elevation has altered recess serving as cartshed, and full-height entrance with recent double doors of metal. North gable end has external stone stair leading to granary entrance with plain timber door. East elevation has projecting lean-to with stone slate roof and window opening, flanked to left by external stone stair to granary door with window adjacent, and to right by doorway. Towards north, a square, shuttered opening at eaves level. Wall towards south partly rebuilt in concrete block. House: 2 storeys and attic. Stone slate roof with stone coped gables, south end stack with brick shaft. West elevation (to farmyard): Central doorway, now part blocked to form square window opening, flanked by two similar openings beneath continuous timber lintels. Two similar openings to first floor at eaves level, all five blocked with timber. North gable has 2-light attic casement window beneath timber lintel. Stone and brick outshut to rear has brick sidewall stack to north, two openings to east and an entrance with plain timber door to south. To north of house, a single-storey stone and brick range with stone slate roof, extended to north from two bays to three, with an entrance into each bay from the east. This is linked to the central barn by a 3-bay cartshed opening to the south, with timber posts supported on stone bases. The southern part of the yard, mainly enclosed by a stone wall, has recently been covered by a corrugated sheet roof. Opening into this at the south-west corner is a single-storey building roofed with stone slates, with a doorway to the east and a ventilation loop in the north gable.

A good example of a planned farm complex from the enclosure era, surviving without significant alteration.