Outbuilding Adjoining North West Of Small Hill Barton Farmhouse

This outbuilding, possibly originally a domestic building, likely dates to the 16th century. It is constructed of local stone rubble, with a north end extension featuring cob upper walls. The roof is dry rag slate with gabled ends, and there are no chimney stacks.

The original building is rectangular, comprising a single room. It originally had an entrance on the right-hand (north) side of the east front, with a corresponding entrance on the west (back) wall, now blocked. A doorway on the left-hand side of the front is probably a later addition. Evidence suggests a later insertion of a lateral fireplace in the centre of the front wall. The roof trusses are potentially smoke-blackened, although this could be due to another cause, and it's suggested the building might originally have been open to the roof. It may have served as a detached service building, as there’s no evidence it was part of a larger structure. The building is now attached to Smallhill Barton Farmhouse, a house dating to the late 17th century.

A farm building, probably dating to the 18th century, has been added to the right (north) end. This two-storey extension has a doorway centrally positioned on the ground floor, featuring a 19th-century plank door. A second doorway to the left, also with a 19th-century plank door and wooden lintel, is likely a later insertion. A small first-floor window under the eaves is located above the right-hand doorway, featuring brick jambs and a slate sill.

Further extensions include a single-storey lean-to on the front, with walls constructed of large, vertically set slates and a rag slate roof. The right gable end of this extension is rendered and has 20th-century garage doors. A lean-to behind the extension may have been used as pigsties, and a small, lower single-storey lean-to is located behind the original building.

Inside, only two original roof trusses remain, situated at the left (south) end. The principals have short, curved feet embedded in the walls, with morticed apices and only two threaded purlins surviving. The apices are partially concealed, making it difficult to determine if a ridge piece was present. There are also mortices for butt purlins and collars, though the collars are missing, along with one truss blade. The trusses and purlins exhibit smoke blackening, which may not be solely attributable to an open hearth fire. Three chamfered cross-beams are present, one featuring a stop-chamfered spine beam with run-out stops; these are also blackened. The ceiling joists are missing.