East Barn at Hope Farm

This is an early 18th century threshing barn, located within a farm group in Rudgwick. The barn incorporates some earlier timbers and was strengthened with additional timbers added after 1850.

The structure is timberframed with weatherboarding cladding on a rubble stone plinth, with sections of the plinth replaced in brick and concrete. It has a half-hipped tiled roof with gablets at each end. The roof tiles are handmade clay, with bonnets to the half-hips, except at the south end where machine-made tiles have been used for repairs.

The barn has a plan of five bays of slightly unequal size. The east side features central, full-height cart doors with pintle hinges, and a small opening on the north side, also on pintle hinges. The west side has an original cart entrance filled in, and contains a 20th century door and two small window openings.

Inside, the wall frame consists of unjowled posts with vertical studs above and below a continuous mid-rail. The studs are braced with a mixture of curved and straight braces morticed into the wall-posts. The south end has had some studs replaced, but the main frame remains intact. Additional braces have been nailed on for reinforcement. Evidence of former lofts in each of the end bays is indicated by empty mortices. The north end bay has fragments of a timber mullioned window frame, probably reused, fixed to the underside of the mid-rail. The roof structure consists of four trusses with curved braces from the wall-posts to the tie beams, and angled queen struts to the single purlins, with occasional windbraces. The roof has angled queen struts, purlins, and collars; most common rafters are original, coupled at the top and without a ridgepiece. Remains of a timber threshing floor are present.

The barn is a substantially intact early 18th century timberframed threshing barn and contributes to the character of the surrounding farm complex.