Details
LLANROTHAL
413/0/10003 LLANROTHAL FARM BARNS
16-NOV-06
GV II
A range of farm buildings, including corn barn, threshing barn, granary, cow houses and linking walls. The corn barn is early C17, threshing barn, granary and cow houses are late C18/early C19 with later C19 additions.
MATERIALS: Constructed of coursed Old Red Sandstone rubble, the corn barn being framed in oak. The barns and granary are roofed in natural slate; the south east range of the cow houses in clay pantiles, the south west range in large riven Old Sandstone tiles.
PLAN: Arranged around an almost square courtyard, with the part aisled timber framed corn barn forming the north west side, the early C19 stone built threshing barn and granary forming the north east and an 'L' shaped range of mono-pitched cattle shelters forming the south east and west ranges. Lengths of wall link the buildings together and enclose the yard. There is a cart entrance between the threshing barn and the granary.
EXTERIOR: External north east elevation: Two storey granary extension, with three openings (two of them new) on the ground floor, one pitching door at first floor. The granary, again of two storeys though with a higher and steeper pitch to the roof. There are three openings to the ground floor and three above. After the cart entrance, the threshing barn of one full height and eight bays defined by tiered pairs of ventilation lancets, four one side of the pair of full height threshing doors, three the other side, the last pair in the process of being enlarged.
The external north west elevation: the continuation of the threshing barn, full height and of five bays, one of coursed masonry with pitching opening at first floor, the second, an opening formally accommodating a pair of threshing doors, then one defined by one pair of tiered ventilation lancets. The next bay is defined by the long low sweeping roof of the remains of the north west aisle (formed by five extensions to the roof and wall frames of the main barn) There are vertical posts with some weather boarding remaining at ground floor. The last bay is formed by the single storey end wall of the lean to attached to the south west end of the barn.
The south west facing courtyard elevation: The granary to the south east is two storeys and blind except for a door at first floor accessed by a flight of stone steps. There is also a small opening half way up these steps. Beyond the cart entrance is the threshing barn, all of one height and of six bays defined by four tiers of paired ventilation lancets, a pair of threshing doors and one pair of tiered ventilation lancets.
The south east facing courtyard elevation: The corn barn is of two storeys, though now a mix of single and two storey spaces or bays. It comprises seven bays, including a double opening formally accommodating threshing doors, a bay of tiered ventilation lancets, then three bays of door openings on the ground floor and small windows to the left of them and three windows at first floor. The next bay is a mix of openings on each floor, the final bay formed by the angled wall of the lean to extension to the south end of the barn.
The north west facing courtyard elevation: The cow house is single storey comprising four bays, the eastern most being blind roughly coursed rubble possibly forming a bull house, the remaining bays being defined by four round columns of Old Sandstone rubble. The whole is clad in clay pantiles.
The north east facing courtyard elevation: The cow house is single storey and six bays, defined by six round columns of Old Sandstone rubble. The roof is clad in riven Old Sandstone tiles. These two ranges are linked to the others by lengths of randomly coursed Old Sandstone rubble walls to the north east and north west.
The south west and south east elevations: These are of roughly coursed Old Sandstone rubble forming the rear of the cow houses within the yard.
INTERIOR: The granary: Two chamfered floor beams at first floor, both with scrolled stops at both ends. The roof is formed of two trusses with diagonally set ridge, mortised and pegged raised collar with two tiers of purlins and many common rafters. The extension to the south east has no internal details of any interest.
The threshing barn: The roof is formed by nine trusses of alternating tie beam and raised collar type, the latter set on wooden pads located on the wall head. Mortised joints fixed with iron spikes, the two tiers of purlins are threaded and also fixed with iron spikes and pegs. Many common rafters, pit-sawn like the rest of the carpentry remain in situ. The lengths of timber used as lintels for the ventilation lancets have mortises and peg holes in them, denoting their salvage, probably from the former aisles of the eastern range of the corn barn.
The corn barn: A complicated timber framed structure comprising seven oak frames, the two most complete comprising wall posts, first floor cross beams, tie beams, principal rafters, collar and secondary struts and vertical posts. The are also wall plates and three tiers of trenched purlins with many pit sawn common rafters still in situ. These two and the other three frames incorporate the wall posts, tie beams and principal rafters of the remaining length of the aisle on the north west side of the barn. All this carpentry is mortised and pegged, and of good quality. Two of the wall posts, first floor cross beams and aisle tie beams are all chamfered and where these elements converge at their joint, all the chamfers are terminated with precisely carved scroll stops.
HISTORY: The rich soils of south Herefordshire have supported a predominantly arable corn-cattle economy since the C17 and this is reflected in both the domestic and agricultural buildings of the area. Llanrothal Court, the house associated with the barn complex (Grade II) is a multi-phase structure with repeated programmes of extension and embellishment, reflecting the prosperity of the region.
Whilst there is no fabric or stylistic evidence to suggest that any of the farmstead buildings are consistent with the earlier phases of the house, the substantial timber framed part-aisled barn to the west of the complex appears contemporary with the last phase of the extension to the house in the C17.
The tithe map of 1841 shows the farmstead group very much as it is today, though without the extension of the southeast range shown on the 2nd edition Ordnance Survey (OS) map of 1904. It is quite possible that the earlier part of this range was converted and enlarged to form a granary at a stage between these two dates. The 1904 map also indicates an additional structure at the northern-most end of the threshing barn and a square structure on the returning north east wall of the same barn, most probably a horse engine house; both of these have since been removed. Modern OS mapping also illustrates that in the period of radical modern agricultural improvement after the Second World War, the yard was filled with a large modern shed and two more of these massive structures were erected to the north east of the historic complex.
SOURCES: Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, An inventory of the historical monuments in Herefordshire. Volume I: south-west (1931), 172-3, 294;
SUMMARY OF IMPORTANCE
This evolved farm building complex, incorporating a C17 former aisled corn barn, late C18/early C19 threshing barn and granary, cow houses and C19 granary extension are of special architectural interest on account of their age and therefore rarity, their substantial degree of completeness and the extent to which their evolutionary character informs us of the changing patterns of historic agricultural activity in the regional and national context. The former C17 corn barn is considered to have the greater degree of special interest, as do the threshing barn, granary and cow houses. Many thousands of historic farm building survive nationally, the vast majority dating from the period of high farming in the mid C19. Those buildings that pre-date this era of major improvement or illustrate the advent of 'scientific' approaches to farming practice are rare in the national context and where substantially complete, will merit designation. The farm buildings form part of a wider group, including Llanrothal Court, a late medieval house of some status which they had long been associated with. Elements of the complex, such as the extension to the granary, are not of special interest, due to their late date and degree of alteration.
