Model Farm Group

The Model Farm Group comprises a mid-19th century model farm with a connected stock yard, situated on the Portman Estate and now Crown Property. It was built around 1850 by the first Viscount Portman. The group is largely constructed of banded brickwork and flint, with some frame and boarded cladding, and has slate roofs.

The farm layout is centred around a courtyard, with a second, lower-level stock yard to the north, enclosed by walls. The stock yard is bordered by structures of two to three stories, incorporating a main barn, stable block with cart shed, a small house, a long arched shelter shed with a loft above, and a continuous drainage tunnel below. An entrance to the east is flanked by a low, framed and boarded unit with a flint gable wall on the left, and a similar open-fronted unit on the right, alongside a house featuring two- and three-light casements and lofty brick stacks. At the far right is a hipped end with brick quoins, central and horizontal banding, and a segmental arched opening leading to a slurry or drainage tunnel, with a full-length lean-to facing the stockyard, enclosed by walls. The upper half of the lean-to is boarded, and the main wall behind has vertical and horizontal brick lacing, with brick-built kennels at the right end.

The exterior of the main barn features large central paired sliding doors, two smaller doors with segmental heads, and four other openings. The inner face of the barn has wide, paired doors under a segmental arch, flanked by contemporary lean-to structures. A south-facing range, leading to the approach road, includes a framed and part-boarded unit followed by a run of banded brick and flint, incorporating a wide, segmental headed opening below a loading opening, and a further loading door at mid-length. The inner face of this range features two casements with small-paned iron glazing, a two-light wood casement, two segmental headed openings, and a flight of steps to a landing over an arched tunnel with two plank doors set in brick jambs.

Inside the main barn, there are four central bays with queen-post trusses, and collar trusses at either end. The loft over the open-fronted shelter to the north has a series of king post trusses.