Cappleside Barn, also known as Brocklands Barn

Cappleside Barn, also known as Brocklands Barn

Barn of 1714, built for H A Newell of Cappleside, with added lean-to structures dating from the late 18th and 19th centuries.

The main barn is constructed of well-coursed, squared sandstone blocks laid to a slightly watershot finish. The quoins, gable copings and door surrounds are more finely dressed. The lean-to structures are also sandstone but more roughly built from mixed rubble, slabs and squared stone, generally laid to watershot courses. The roof is covered with sandstone flags laid to diminishing courses with a shaped-sandstone ridge.

The barn is of six bays with opposed cart entrances on the north side of the centreline. There is a shallow original porch to the east and an added porch to the west. The northern two bays, accessed via three doorways in the north gable and extending eastwards to the depth of the porch, form a shippon for 16 cattle in two rows of double stalls flanking a central foddergang. To the east of the shippon is an added lean-to structure, probably a loose box. South of the porch is a lean-to identified as a shippon with divisions for a further four cattle stalls. Additional lean-tos to the south gable and infilling the south-east corner are probably further shippons.

The barn is quoined with a simple plinth of four courses matching the general walling. The gables are coped with moulded slabs supported by ogee-shaped kneelers. The doorways are quoined with wide chamfers and run-out stops. The western cart entrance has a segmental arch of voussoirs with a naturally curved timber lintel behind, retaining sockets for pintle-hung doors. Above this is a finely carved datestone reading HAN 1714. The added western porch is shallow and has lost its roof. The eastern entrance with its original porch is more simply treated with a substantial timber lintel. The shippon is lit by three windows—two to the west and one to the east with retained joinery—formed with monolithic peck-dressed jambs, lintels and sills. Owl holes set high in each gable are similarly formed. Ventilation slits lack surrounds but are neatly constructed with internal splays, some now blocked.

The various lean-tos have quoined corners and doorways, with windows formed from monolithic jambs, lintels and sills. The general walling is less well-dressed and coursed than the barn. The lean-tos are roofless but are reported to have been slated with Burlington slates.

Inside, the shippon occupying the northern two bays is divided from the rest of the barn by a roughly built low stone wall with a neatly constructed central doorway fitted with a six-panel door to the foddergang. This wall supports four pine timbers spanning to the north gable, neatly jointed into the posts that form part of the stall division framework and also support the joists for the hayloft above. The stalls incorporate large grey Horton flagstones set into very neatly finished oak frames with chamfered arises. Later stall divisions within the lean-to shippons are formed from large, neatly dressed sandstone slabs.

The roof structure is of oak with five trusses with tie beams and very high-set collars. The collars support king blocks and curving wind braces to the ridge purlin. The tie beams have inclined queen struts. The trusses support two purlins to each side, staggered and lightly trenched into the principal rafters. The northern-most truss has a curving western principal rafter to accommodate the slightly wider part of the barn. Although this appears to be a reused cruck blade, dendrochronology dated it to the same felling period as the other dated timbers in the roof. The jack rafters and slating batons are also of oak. All collars are ornamentally shaped, with most having additional carved motifs. Some other timbers also include carved decoration.