Timber-framed barn at Lower Preshaw Farm

Summary

Aisled barn, probably C17 on an C18 base.

Reasons for Designation

The timber-framed barn at Lower Preshaw Farm, probably C17 in date, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Architectural interest: an aisled barn, of a type that seems to prevail locally, with later alterations indicating changing use and farming practice;
* Historic interest and group value: part of a farmstead of predominantly C19 buildings, some listed, including an C18 or early C19 granary, associated with a C16 farmhouse.

History

The barn at Lower Preshaw Farm forms part of a farmyard, associated historically with Lower Preshaw Farmhouse, a C16 and later house (listed Grade II, NHLE 1301719), to the east of Lower Preshaw Lane (separately owned). Circa 1880, a second farmhouse, Lower Preshaw House was built to the south of the yard; until 2014 this house and the yard were in single ownership.

The farm complex comprises a loose group of buildings of various dates, arranged either side of Lower Preshaw Lane. As well as the barn, it includes an C18 granary (listed Grade II, NHLE 1301640) to the north of and in the ownership of Lower Preshaw Farmhouse; a symmetrically designed C19 brick and flint stable or cowshed to the south-west of the barn; a late C19 or early C20 timber framed and weatherboarded building to the south (in the ownership of Lower Preshaw House) and a much altered late C19 and early C20 group of brick buildings, used as the estate office, facing the lane. C19 maps from the 1839 tithe map onwards show that most buildings were laid out along the north-east side of the yard, with the barn at the north-west corner and with a freestanding building in the position of the brick and flint stable/cowshed to the south-west of it.

In recent years the yard has been used as stables. The symmetrical flint and brick stable building, with a hayloft above it, had housed working houses.

The barn is subject of a Heritage Statement, Lower Preshaw House, Upham, Hampshire prepared by Seymour and Banbridge, Architects (July 2014).

Details

Barn, probably C17-C18

MATERIALS: a slender scantling timber frame, weather boarded externally, on a predominantly red brick plinth. The roof is clad in asbestos sheeting, the gabled porches with plain tiles. It was probably thatched originally.

PLAN AND STRUCTURE: a three-bay aisled barn, beneath a deep, oversailing hipped roof, with opposing gabled cart entrances in the central bay.

EXTERIOR: the barn is set into the side of the hill, the brick plinth, on the east face in alternating courses of stretchers and headers, is taller on the lower, yard side of the building. A tall, half-hipped, gabled porch projects beyond the eastern, farmyard entrance, where it has been extended; on the western side the gabled porch is flush with the external wall but the opening rises above the wall plate.

INTERIOR: the wall frame has many of the original broad studs but includes some slighter scantling replacements.

Aisle posts are set on square-based red brick piers, which correspond in height with the outer brick plinth; some posts also sit on timber pads. Most of the aisle posts are jowled; the north-western aisle post appears to be reused, and other reworked timber suggests that this end of the barn has been repaired in the past or incorporates material from a previous building.

The truss to the north of the entrance has curved braces; elsewhere braces are straight, thought most are pegged in. The inner faces of the gabled porches are lined in horizontally laid planks; these are wide, that is, earlier, on the eastern porch.

The barn has a queen strut roof with clasped purlins and straight braces and no ridge piece; supplementary bracing has been added to the frame and roof.

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