Barn To The South West Of Westmeston Place

This is a late 16th-century barn, with alterations made in the 18th and 19th centuries. It is located to the south-west of Westmeston Place. The exterior is primarily flintwork with red brick dressings, dating to the early 19th century, except for the former central cart entrance on the north side, which has been infilled with brick. The barn has a steeply pitched pegtiled roof, gabled to the east and hipped to the west, with a one-bay, 19th-century lean-to addition.

The barn is an aisled timber-framed structure of seven bays, featuring a narrow continuous south aisle and a wider north aisle, with four bays surviving, and the aforementioned western lean-to. The north side has a tall, three-tier 19th-century casement window in the central bay, a 20th-century window to the west, and 20th-century garage doors in the eastern lean-to. The south side has two brick ventilation slits and four mid-19th century wooden casement windows. The eastern wall is flint, with a wide entrance. The western side is flint with a 19th-century casement window.

Inside, the south aisle posts rest on wood and brick padstones, mostly jowled, except for the south-eastern post which has an 18th-century cut profile. The south side features tiebeams with three curved tension braces. The western bay preserves a corner post and an intermediate post sawn through at midrail level, with curved tension braces on each. The north side retains three upright posts cut off at midrail level, embedded in old weatherboarding and 19th-century brickwork. The penultimate bay eastwards keeps two curved braces to the wall frame. The roof is of queenpost construction, angled in the eastern three bays, with purlins and collar beams. Much of the rafters were initially hidden by later sheeting, but those visible demonstrate pegged rafters without a ridgepiece. The wider three-bay aisle to the north-east has tiebeams curving downwards, angled queenstruts to the roof, and a plank loft door to the east.

Historically, this barn served Westmeston Place, a manor house with a documented history dating back to at least 1439. It likely relates to the Michelbourne family, who owned the manor from 1539 to 1640. The barn retains substantial late 16th-century fabric up to tie beam level, with a probable 18th-century roof structure. The flintwork fronting dates to the early 19th century, along with some 19th-century windows and the eastern lean-to. The building has group value with the Grade II listed Westmeston Place.