Gatepiers to the north-east of farm outbuilding at Barlow Woodseats Hall and section of wall attached to north-east pier

Summary

A pair of stone gate piers and a length of boundary wall at Barlow Woodseats Hall defining the entrance to the north-west end of the farmyard, bounded to the south-west by the farm outbuilding range and to the north-east by Barlow Woodseats Hall and its gardens.

Reasons for Designation

The gatepiers at the north-east end of the farm building comprising a former threshing barn, cowhouse and stables at Barlow Woodseats Hall and the section of wall attached to the north-east pier are designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Historic interest: the gate piers and attached wall form part of an outstanding ensemble of historic buildings and structures at Barlow Woodseats Hall dating from the late C16, and define the north-west entrance to the farmyard located between the hall and the farm building range to the south-west.;
* Group value: the gate piers are sited close to the farm outbuilding range at Barlow Woodseats Hall, with which they are functionally related and they are an important element of its setting. They form a group with the outbuilding, the gatepiers at the south east end of the farmyard and Barlow Woodseats Hall.

History

Barlow Woodseats Hall and its associated outbuildings date to the late-C16 and C17 and form an outstanding vernacular building grouping in the parish of Barlow, in the district of North-East Derbyshire. There are strong historical associations with the Cavendish family, and the estate lies mid-way between the principal mansions at Hardwick and Chatsworth. Both the hall and the outbuilding range retain evidence of early phases of construction, with timber-framed partitions and arch-braced roof trusses extant within the hall, and wall posts encased within the walls of the cruck-framed section of the outbuilding range suggesting that this part of the building may have originally been of timber-framed construction.

On the evidence of the stone masonry, the outbuilding appears to be of three phases of construction. The earliest part is probably the cruck-framed south-east end of the building range, which appears to have the earliest masonry as well as the cruck trusses. The gate piers at this end of the building appear to be part of this phase of development. A second phase of construction or alteration may date to the mid-late C17, when the area most recently used as the cowhouse was built or remodelled in well-coursed squared masonry, with ashlar occuli ventilating the loft area, and tie beam roof trusses with wind-braced purlins supporting the roof. At the same time, the stables range at the north-west end of the range may have been added, the junction between this and the earlier range formed at an acute angle to ensure that the outer wall of the stable aligned with the front wall of the hall. The gate piers at the north-west end of the farmyard appear to be part of this phase of development, and are of a different design to those at the south-east end. These characteristics suggest a phase of development at Barlow Woodseats involving both the hall and its outbuildings. At a much later stage, the stables were converted to provide increased accommodation for cattle, and an external stone staircase constructed at the courtyard junction of the two ranges. Further alterations were made in the C19 and early C20 with additional openings being inserted into the south-west side wall of the long range, a feed passage and new standings created within the cowhouse area, and former cart lodges at the northwest end of the long range infilled to form additional cattle standings.

Details

A pair of stone gate piers, probably late C16 in date, and a length of boundary wall at Barlow Woodseats Hall defining the entrance to the north-west end of the farmyard, bounded to the south-west by the farm outbuilding range and to the north-east by Barlow Woodseats Hall and its gardens.

MATERIALS: the gatepiers are formed from ashlar sandstone blocks and other elements of moulded stonework, and are linked to adjacent structures by coursed rubble sandstone walling.

EXTERIOR: the piers are rectangular on plan. Their inner faces each have a projecting vertical moulding which forms a stop against which the doors, which have been removed, could be closed. At the head of each pier is a blocking course and a projecting moulded cornice which supports a ball finial set upon a tapered stem. The rectangular blocks also act as quoins, the recesses between which house the end sections of the masonry courses of the attached walling. The south-west pier is linked to the adjacent building by a short stub of walling, but the north-east pier stands at the end of an approximately nine metre section of wall which extends eastward to Barlow Woodseats Hall (q.v.). The wall adjoins the pier just below the cornice but then is ramped downwards to a quoined set-back, and continues at the lower height until it meets the hall. The wall has a stepped ridge coping and incorporates a quoined door opening giving access to the hall gardens.

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