Barn At Ss 558 109 (To East Of Lower Langham)

A barn, formerly a house, dates to the early 16th century, with alterations likely occurring around 1574. The building is constructed of stone rubble and rubble and cob walls, topped with a gable-ended corrugated iron roof. The original layout is somewhat unclear and may have been reduced over time, although the surviving two-room plan exhibits surprisingly high quality features. The larger room, to the left, was heated by a front lateral stack and originally open to the roof. A thick wall divides it from the smaller right-hand room, which was likely a parlour with a lateral fireplace in its front corner. A projection contains a newel staircase at the rear of the parlour. A 19th-century outshut has been added adjoining the parlour to the left. It is possible a cross-passage and lower room have been demolished beyond the large left-hand room, which was likely the hall. The date stone of 1574 likely marks the date when the hall was “celled” (partitioned), stacks inserted, and the newel stairs added. The house was later converted to agricultural use after fairly substantial alterations, including the removal of both chimney stacks and a partial rebuilding of the front wall.

The exterior is two stories, but with ground-floor windows only. The asymmetrical front has a window opening high to the left of centre, with a smaller opening to its right, neither of which retains window frames. A stone plaque inscribed with the date 1574 and the name W. Martin is above the left-hand window. Doorways are located in the gable-end walls. The rear elevation includes the stair projection and the adjoining outshut. A straight joint in the left-hand gable end wall is visible, indicating a rebuild of the front wall.

The larger left-hand room features three chamfered cross beams with run-out stops. A blocked lateral fireplace has a heavy wooden lintel and rubble jambs. The right-hand room has two chamfered and straight-cut stopped axial beams. The small fireplace has hollow chamfered dressed stone jambs and a wooden lintel with mason’s mitred stops. A chamfered wooden square-headed doorframe leads to the newel stairs, and the original stone steps with wooden treads remain. A section of late 16th-century, high-quality panelling is preserved on the first floor, though it is not in situ. A surviving original smoke-blackened roof truss over the left-hand room has straight principals, threaded purlins, and a cranked morticed collar. Despite alterations, the building retains several interesting and high-quality internal features.