Cruck-Framed Barn at Helme Farm

Cruck-Framed Barn at Helme Farm

This is a three-bay, single-storey cruck-framed barn dating from the late 17th or early 18th century, located at Helme Farm in Cumrew. The barn is constructed of random rubble sandstone with a slate roof and is rectangular in plan.

The front (east) elevation shows evidence of rebuilding at its north end using snecked stone. Access is provided by a timber plank door beneath a timber lintel for pedestrian use, and by off-centre double timber doors covered externally with corrugated iron sheeting that serve as the main access. A modern metal extension has been added to the south end. The south gable end has a lean-to corrugated iron shed attached, and a ventilation slot is visible high in the gable end. The rear elevation is largely obscured by vegetation, but a boarded-up central door is visible. The north elevation has a modern corrugated iron lean-to attached above two narrow ventilation slots in the barn's wall. The roof is pitched and covered in slate.

Internally, the barn is three bays long with a concrete floor and painted stone walls. The cruck-framed construction is of full cruck type with side purlins carried on outer blades. Two pairs of cruck frames are present, each with a collar. The roof structure is boarded, though gaps in the boarding reveal a mix of modern and early timbers. A boarded rear door occupies the central bay, with front pedestrian doors in the south and north bays. The south door provides access to the modern metal extension. Ventilation slots are present in each gable end, all boarded except for one in the north gable.

Cruck-framed barns are now a relatively rare building type in Cumbria. Although the precise date of construction is unknown, this example compares favourably with other 17th- and 18th-century examples found elsewhere in the county. The barn has been reroofed, replacement doors have been added to the front elevation, and modern lean-to structures have been added to three sides.