Temple Elfold Barn And Attached Cattle Shelter

Temple Elfold Barn and the attached cattle shelter are located in Capel and date from around 1600, with some alterations made in the 18th century. The barn is timber-framed and covered in weatherboarding, resting on a base of English bond brickwork, topped with a gabled plain-tiled roof. It features an off-central cart entrance with double doors, and some openings have ledged and braced doors. The roof is supported by side purlins clasped by collars, with queen struts and rafters that do not have a ridgepiece. Two diagonal braces are still present. The wall frame includes a midrail, jowled posts on the east and west sides, and curved braces to the tiebeam, with ten curved tension braces surviving. The south end has 18th-century framing and a higher midrail, indicating that the barn may have originally extended one bay further to the south.

The cattle shelter is also timber-framed and clad in weatherboarding, featuring a tiled roof. It consists of four bays and is open-fronted to the north, supported by three piers. The roof includes a tie beam and short curved braces, with rafters that lack a ridgepiece.

Historically, the Manor of Elfold was granted to the Templars in the late 13th century and later passed to the Knights Hospitallers. The main house was constructed by Sir Richard Cowper around 1541. The barn is depicted on John Rocque's map from 1768.