Barn at Little Chantersluer

Summary

Barn, probably C17 with a later bay to the west.

Reasons for Designation

The barn at Little Chantersluer is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* as a C17 Surrey barn, illustrating the traditional construction and carpentry of its type.

Historic interest:

* in its original form and later adaptations the building expresses the agricultural needs and practices of its locality.

Group value:

* for its relationship with Little Chantersluer, a house with medieval origins.

History

Little Chantersluer is a house with origins dating to about 1400 and multiple subsequent phases. The barn is situated to the south west and is probably of C17 date; the end bay to the west is a later addition, as are the single-storey lean-to extensions at either end which are later still. In 1991 the Domestic Buildings Research Group, Surrey produced a short report on the building. This suggested that the building was of C18 date, but the substantial size of the principal timbers point to a date in the previous century.

In the early C21 Chantersluer Barn was converted to semi-residential use; at this time, amongst other works, the exterior was re-clad, new windows and doors were inserted and a mezzanine was added at one end.

Neighbouring Little Chantersuer to the west is Chantersluer Farm. The historic relationship between the two holdings is unclear, but Little Chantersluer is possibly the older of the two houses. Like Little Chantersluer the farm has a barn of probable C17 origin; this is listed at Grade II.

Details

Barn, probably C17 with later bay to the west, converted to semi-residential use in the C21.

MATERIALS: the barn is timber-framed on a brick plinth, clad in C21 oak weather-board with a C21 clay tile roof. Windows are C21 timber casements with a single horizontal glazing bar. Doors are C21 timber plank.

PLAN: the barn is located to the south west of the house. It is four bays in length with a gabled roof. There is an opposing pair of wain doors in the second bay to the east (remade in the C21); the opening to the north is lower. A mezzanine level has been inserted in the easternmost bay and a small wine cellar has been created beneath the barn floor. To either end of the building are single-storey bays with pitched/hipped roofs which are later additions.

EXTERIOR: while the building’s cladding and joinery is clearly of recent date, the character of the barn as an agricultural building remains, with window openings kept small and low, and light introduced at a high level by small glazed openings at the top of the gable.

INTERIOR: the timber frame of the barn has substantial principal members and appears to be relatively complete, with later timbers generally added to support or to shore-up earlier fabric. The structure has a mixture of curved and straight bracing and the roof comprises paired rafters meeting without a ridge piece. Tie beams have curved raking queen struts supporting clasped purlins.

There is evidence of timbers being reused from elsewhere, and lighter-weight scantling introduced into the frame, possibly reflecting a historic change from large, heavy timber cladding of the exterior to lighter-weight boarding in the C18 or C19. The wall framing has also had some adaption to take new window and door openings. Evidence of the west end being a later addition is found in the scarf-jointed wall plate and the empty mortice holes in the bay posts and underside of the tie beam in the third bay.

In front of the north wain door is a ‘lift’ – timber boards which slide horizontally into angled slots to either side at the base of the door. This would historically have prevented animals entering the barn during the threshing process and would help stop grain blowing out. The timber boards are later whereas the slots appear early.

Sources

Other
Domestic Buildings Research Group, Surrey, report 1360

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