Farmbuildings West of Manor House

Details

TF 19 SE KIRMOND LE MIRE MAIN STREET (North Side)

7/9B Farmbuildings west of Manor House

GV II

Model farmstead, 1868. Designed by J. Young Macvicar for Christopher Turnor.

MATERIALS: Red brick with slate roofs.

PLAN: E plan with two open crewyards, single storey except for the two storey range to the rear and two storey central range, which continues to the south as a single storey range of two buildings for stock separated by a feeding passage. There were parallel ranges with open sides within the yards, with a passage between outer and inner ranges. Of the inner buildings most have been partially dismantled, leaving only gable ends and back walls; the passage between the main ranges and the crewyards therefore remains.

EXTERIOR: All ranges are built of brick laid mainly in English garden wall bond with dentilled eaves. Windows and doors have full header segmental arches. The south roadside elevation presents the paired gable ends of the central range with central doorway with plank door. There are triple round-headed lights in each of two central gables. Behind this is a two storey range which terminates in a square tower-like dovecote with hipped roof: this dovecote was originally surmounted with a lantern, which no longer survives. The south boundary walls of the crewyards link this central range to the gable ends of the outer ranges. To the rear, the west end of the north elevation of the barn complex has four open bays for carts with segmental arches and brick piers, with a window above each bay, while the east end of this two storey range has four double planked doors, one of which is blocked, with loft doors to the first storey. To the east of this is a single storey range with two cart bays and one set of double barn doors. There is a drive wheel for the feed mill inside the barn attached to the outer wall. To the south of the east elevation is a lean-to against the main range containing hen houses, each with a plank door with small vertically sliding door inset near ground level.

INTERIOR: The different ranges of the farmstead fulfil different functions, their fittings reflecting their use. All main ranges have king post roofs. To the west are two stables separated by a tack room with a barn at the north end of the range. The first stable contains brick built feed troughs set against the west wall, and has a cobbled floor sloping towards a central drain. The tack room has a brick floor and retains its wooden harness/tack hangers set into the wall. The second stable also retains its feeding troughs and is divided by wooden partitions into stalls.

The passage between crew yards and buildings connects the west range with the mainly two storey range to the north. Access to the cartsheds is mainly from the north, but the central barn with granary over has opposing double doors, the position and size of which is matched by doors to the barn immediately to the south in the central range. The south doors of this building in turn lead directly into the central feeding passage between animal housing at the south end of the central range, so that there is a continuous link between the processing of feed and its distribution. Initial processing was carried out in the barn to the north, where grain was fed through a hopper into the cast-iron framed corn mill below. This machinery was made by the Lincoln firm of Clayton and Shuttleworth, and was driven by an external portable steam engine. Drive shafts serving other machinery can also be seen in the barn: this probably included a chaff cutter or other machinery placed on a first floor platform above the door to the barn south of the passage. This machinery no longer survives, but the drive wheel just below the platform is still in place, and wear caused by the drive belt can be seen in the brickwork. South of this barn the passage between buildings allowed the direct delivery of feed to animals through hatches into troughs on either side.

A similar arrangement was designed to feed the pigs in their two sties at the north end of the east range, where counterweighted doors slide up to allow food to be tipped directly and discreetly into the pigs feeding troughs. The edges of these and the door openings are finished in rounded bricks. To the south of the pigsties are the tack room and trap house. The latter has been altered but the stables for trap and riding horses survive, as do the fittings of the tack room, its fireplace, cupboards and harness and saddle holders.

Although most of the open fronted cattle shelters in the crewyards have been partially dismantled, feeding arrangements survive in the east side of the east crewyard, where there are top hung two way opening hatches at ground level.

HISTORY: 1750 to 1880 were the years of agricultural revolution in Britain, a period when major developments in farmstead plans and building types reflected and accommodated innovative agricultural practices. The model farmstead at Kirmond le Mire was built towards the end of that period in 1868, one of several designed for the Lincolnshire landowner Christopher Turnor by his agent J.Young Macvicar. The layout of these farmsteads is specific to the estate, and seems not to have been imitated elsewhere. The farmstead at Kirmond le Mire has been little altered over the years, except for the partial dimantling in 2003 of the open sided cattle shelters in the crewyards.

SOURCES: Wade Martins, S. 2002. The English Model Farm.

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION DECISION: The model farmstead at Kirmond le Mire is listed in Grade II for the following principal reasons: * Its plan is unusual and specific to the Turnor estates, and was found to be interesting by commentators of the day. * The preservation of buildings and the fixtures and fittings of farming practice is very good, * All the elements of the farm process can be followed, particularly the system of feed delivery for which the Turnor estate was well known

Listing NGR: TF1881292654

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

196432

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Wade Martins, S, The English Model Farm, Building the Agricultural Ideal, 1700-1914, (2002)

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