Long Byre, The Old Workshop and The Quoin

A range of former shelter sheds, constructed in the early 19th century, converted to three residential units in the late 1980s – Long Byre, The Old Workshop and The Quoin. The late 20th-century and early 21st-century internal finishes and modern partition walls are excluded from protection. The late 20th-century link building and garage attached at the eastern end of The Quoin are also excluded.

MATERIALS

Local limestone rubble, some squared and roughly brought to course, with limestone piers and slates, and timber and glazing infill.

PLAN

A long, narrow rectangular range running east-west; at the eastern end a short infill range links the building with a late 20th-century garage block to the south-east.

EXTERIOR

The building is single storey with converted attic space. The former shelter shed range is of thirteen bays, divided by monolithic limestone piers, which are chamfered and have plain limestone caps and bases. One bay, forming the western bay of The Quoin, has a short length of stone rubble walling. The main elevation, to the south, has various infill treatments between the piers, principally glazed timber, creating windows and door openings. The gable ends have raised, coped verges rising to ball finials. The rear is blind except for a pair of small retained single-light windows under the eaves approximately centrally, with external grilles; the rear roof slope houses a number of irregularly-spaced roof lights. The roof is covered in Cotswold stone slates laid in diminishing courses. The eastern end of the building has a blocked opening at attic level, with a stone lintel and stone dressings.

LONG BYRE

The main elevation of Long Byre is of six bays and has a mixture of full-height glazed sections with timber surrounds and horizontally-laid weatherboarding between the limestone piers. A stainless steel flue emerges from the front roof slope towards the western end.

THE OLD WORKSHOP

This section is of three bays, the infill wholly of glazed timber doors and windows. To the eastern end part of the stone rubble wall marks the end of the third bay and continues across into what is now The Quoin.

THE QUOIN

The Quoin also has wholly glazed timber infill, a mixture of doors and windows. It is of four bays, the last obscured by the link, which joins its south elevation to the late 20th-century garage block by means of a square-plan, single-storey infill range, linking the former shelter shed range to the rear of a block of modern garages. Above the garage is a gable with a circular window and a door and window to the ground floor. A small, timber-framed lean-to stands against the eastern end of the infill block and extends across part of the eastern gable end wall of the main range.

INTERIOR

The building has been divided into three dwellings, with an inserted floor at the height of the wall plate, so that the first floors are wholly contained within the attic space. The roof trusses are formed from paired principal rafters, which are overlapped and pegged at the apex, with tie beams and two rows of purlins, which are trenched. Some of the timbers have been defrosted (scraped to remove surface damage by wood-boring insects) and have then been painted or varnished, giving them a more recent appearance, but the construction and scantling indicate that they are the original roof structure.

LONG BYRE

The ground floor has narrow, exposed beams and chamfered joists. There is a staircase at either end of the house; the ground floor has an open living space, a bedroom and bathroom; above are three further bedrooms and a bathroom. The main living space has a narrow rubble-stone chimney breast on an internal wall, with a chamfered timber bressumer over a small fireplace housing a woodburning stove.

THE OLD WORKSHOP

The ground floor is divided into two rooms with exposed beams and joists similar to those in Long Byre. There are a bedroom and bathroom to the first floor.

THE QUOIN

The main living space has two narrow, exposed beams and a rubble-stone chimney breast on the rear wall, with a timber bressumer over a wide fireplace housing a woodburning stove. The first floor is divided into two bedrooms and a bathroom. Some of the joints between the principal rafters and purlins have been strengthened with metal supports.