Summary
Bank barn, later C17 incorporating remnants of an earlier domestic dwelling, with C19 and C20 alterations.
Reasons for Designation
Great House Barn, of later C17 or early C18 date is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Significant original fabric: a largely unaltered bank barn retaining its original pegged roof structure and the survival of almost all original wall fabric, pierced by original openings;
* Rarity: dating from before 1750 and probably from before 1700, this barn sits firmly in the period when there is a presumption that all buildings that are generally intact will be listed;
* Evolution: it preserves within it evidence that it evolved from, or replaced, an earlier domestic dwelling on the same site;
* Group value: it has clear group value with more than twenty listed domestic and agricultural buildings in Troutbeck, several in the higher grades.
History
The character and detailing of this barn, such as the very regular slit window positions and the continuous/long drip courses, date it by analogy to other buildings in the area to the later C17 or early C18. The presence of a chimney on the north gable of the barn, a crude stone chimney piece and plaster on the north face of the same gable and a corbelled out chimney with smoke hood scar and flue below on the south face of the gable suggest that the present building incorporates remnants of an earlier domestic dwelling. The building is depicted on the first edition 1:2500 Ordnance Survey map of 1860, and it retains the same footprint on all subsequent editions to the present. There are a number of later C19 and C20 inserted openings, the south gable roof was remodelled, probably in the early C19 and a clear building line and more recent stonework indicate that the northern section of the building has been partially remodelled.
Details
MATERIALS: local Lakeland stone with some original render; the roof is pitched with a later hipped south end, and has a covering of stone slates laid to diminishing courses. There is a chimney towards the north end.
PLAN: two storey five bay bank barn with a partially rebuilt two bay section at the upper end, aligned north-south along the tarmac lane through Troutbeck.
EXTERIOR: front (west) elevation: the barn has elongated quoins to the right and left and a long drip course, interrupted only by a ramped central entrance with a pentice roof giving access to the first floor threshing floor. Ventilating the upper floor there are two rows of three regularly spaced slit windows to the right of the entrance and two similar rows of four slit windows to the left; several of those to the lower row of the latter are blocked. To the right of the entrance, the lower floor has a single row of slit windows, the central one removed by the insertion of a larger window opening with a stone sill, and that to its rights slightly enlarged. There is also a tall entrance with a wooden lintel. To the left of the entrance, there are the upper parts of four openings all with timber lintels, formerly lighting/accessing the lower floor and all now partially blocked by stone and an increase of exterior ground level. To the left of a clear building line, the north end of the building has been partially rebuilt and this section has a wide entrance with a stone lintel and a wide-plank door and a pair of inserted openings with stone sills; to the left is a full height entrance.
Rear (east) elevation: a similar long drip course runs the length of the elevation, with two rows of regularly spaced slit windows above, some blocked; the drip course is interrupted only by a first floor opening with a drip course, probably a winnowing door, and there is a smaller opening to the upper right with a timber lintel. At ground floor a row of slit windows is visible with a two inserted ground floor entrances. At the north end there is a single entrance with a plank and batten door flanked by small window openings, all with timber lintels; that to the far right was formerly an entrance, now partially blocked. The rebuilt northern section has a single window opening.
The south gable has two continuous drip courses and below this, there is a round-headed entrance, now blocked in its lower parts to form a window. The present hipped roof is a later remodeling. The rebuilt north gable is blind.
INTERIOR: the barn largely retains its original layout with a central first floor former threshing floor and storage areas to either side; the northern storage area has a later inserted timber floor. The inner side of the barn's north gable has a stone chimney supported by timber corbels with a flue and the scar of a smoke hood below. The base of this wall is fire reddened/iron stained, and there are two roughly square mortices. The original through purlin roof structure, comprising four pegged trusses with angled struts, remains in situ; the rafters are renewed. One of the principal rafters retains the remains of lath and plaster infill. The ground floor comprises a number of smaller spaces formerly providing animal accommodation. One small window opening in the west wall, now blocked with stone, has the remains of a wooden mullioned window. Within the partially rebuilt northern section of the building, the north face of the gable wall supporting the chimney has a crude stone chimney piece and wall plaster.
