Hay Barn At Cucksey'S Farm

BLETCHINGLEY

188/4/2 SOUTH PARK LANE 25-APR-84 Hay barn at Cucksey's Farm (Formerly listed as: OUTWOOD LANE BARN 40 YARDS CUCKSEY'S FARM HOUSE)

GV II Hay barn. Early C18 with minor alterations. MATERIALS: Timberframed clad in weatherboarding on a brick plinth. The roof is gabled to the north and half-hipped to the south and is now covered in corrugated iron sheeting, but some of the original thatch survives internally. PLAN: A five bay barn with central threshing floor and aisle to the west. EXTERIOR: The weatherboarded cladding is missing to the south. Central cart entrances with double doors on pintle hinges with taller entrance to the east and lower entrance to the west. To the north of the central cart doors on the east side is a pedestrian plank door on pintle hinges. INTERIOR: The aisle posts are supported on circular padstones later enlarged in concrete. All aisle ties are present. The four upright posts flanking the cart entrance have a typical C18 curved and cut profile and the remainder are unjowled. Some posts are rough hewn and retain the oter bark. The wall frame has a midrail and intact diagonal tension braces. The roof structure has angled queen struts and purlins and all the rafters are intact. Some C20 secondary timbers and metal ties have been introduced to strengthen the barn's wind resistance. HISTORY: This is part of an early C18 farmstead which also includes the farmhouse and corn barn. SUMMARY OF IMPORTANCE: An early C18 hay barn which retains an intact timber frame and is part of a functionally related contemporary farm group.