Woods Barn Outfarm

Reasons for Designation

Woods Barn outfarm has been designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

* It is a rare surviving example of a regionally distinct outfarm, indicative of the local response to the development of scientific farming.

* It is well built of local materials demonstrating the vernacular architecture of the South West.

* Despite some minor collapse the complex survives well retaining its major architectural features and a complete plan form, illustrative of the function and method of mixed farming of the period.

Details

IPPLEPEN

1889/0/10003 Wood's Barn Outfarm 20-AUG-08

II Woods Barn Outfarm, an agricultural complex of c1800 with mid-C19 additions, is constructed of local limestone rubble, with some cob to the wall tops and granite posts. The surviving timber roof structures, formerly thatched, are now covered in corrugated iron sheeting.

PLAN: The complex is set into rising ground. The roughly square walled courtyard complex has a large threshing barn external to the north range and lean-to open fronted animal shelters ranged around the foldyard on its north, west and south sides. The main entrance is at the south east angle, with a further access in the north west angle. There is an external cart shed to the west and a blocked building of uncertain function to the east of the barn. An engine platform with stone revetments approximately 1m high lies immediately to the north of the barn. The complex is characterised by massive rubble walling at least 2m high.

Threshing Barn EXTERIOR: Built into sloping ground the barn is of two-storeys and seven bays. There are opposing double doors set just off centre towards the west in the long walls. On the north elevation a large rubble buttress is set either side of the door. The west elevation has a taking-in door in the upper gable wall. Within the courtyard, single storey lean-to animal shelters occupy its south side. The barn roof is hipped towards the east and gabled at the west in order to accommodate the taking-in door. INTERIOR: the rubble and cob walls are partly lime rendered and there are brick quoins to the south door. There are no surviving interior features, although the position of the former loft can be identified from wall scars. A small square opening high up in north wall is believed to be an access for a drive shaft to an external threshing engine formerly located on the exterior platform. The roof is of six A frame timber trusses, halved and pegged at the ridge with face pegged collars, suggesting a date c1800 or earlier. The hip structure survives to the east.

Cart Shed There is a single storey cart shed to the west, with rubble and cob walls, open to the north. Its roof structure, now collapsed, was of A frame construction with notched and nailed collars, indicative of an C19 date.

Fold Yard EXTERIOR: The complex is characterised by large blank expanses of massive rubble walling at least 2m high terminating in massive columnar gate piers at the double width entrance in south east angle. There is a single doorway with a short flight of steps to the cart shed in the north west angle.

INTERIOR: The courtyard is occupied by the stone floored open fold yard with animal shelters on the north, west and south sides. That to the north, against the barn, is of six bays, with a cat-slide roof, supported upon monolithic granite posts, of which three remain in situ. The shelters to the south and west have pitched A frame roofs supported upon five massive rubble columns. The roof of the west range has collapsed. There are the remains of timber mangers and feeding troughs. In the north west angle is a flight of five steep stone stairs to a wide doorway, giving access to the cart shed. At the east of the barn is another structure, currently inaccessible, which may have been a storage tank or root store.

HISTORY: Woods Barn Outfarm appears on the 1840 Tithe Apportionment for the parish of Ipplepen where it is held by tenants of New House Barton Farm, part of the Ambrook estate, an extensive Manor originating in the C13. It was a relatively large mixed farm, covering 100 hectares of rolling land lying largely between the farmstead and the village of Ipplepen to the east. The outfarm is located centrally, so that no part of the farm was more than a kilometre distant from either the farmstead or the outfarm. Stylistic evidence, in particular the roof structure of the main barn, suggests that Woods Barn dates from c1800, possibly earlier and the complex clearly developed through the early-C19. The complete plan form is indicative of an outfarm typical of the scientific approach to mixed farming spreading throughout England during this period.

SOURCES: Alan Cheetam. Woods Barn Outfarm, an architectural and historic appraisal c2007. Susan Wade Martins. The English Model Farm, building the agricultural ideal 1700 -1914. 2002. http://www.helm.org.uk/upload/pdf/Historic-Farmsteads-South-West-part3.pdf 8.1.2 OUTFARMS AND FIELD BARNS IN THE SOUTH WEST accessed January 2008.

Woods Barn outfarm is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

* It is a rare surviving example of a regionally distinct outfarm, indicative of the local response to the development of scientific farming.

* It is well built of local materials demonstrating the vernacular architecture of the South West.

* Despite some minor collapse the complex survives well; retaining its major architectural features and a complete plan form, illustrative of the function and method of mixed farming of the period.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

504098

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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