Summary
A former threshing barn, now a house. Built in about 1452 as a three-bay barn with a fourth bay added to the south end in the C17. A lean-to outshut was also added at the south end of the west wall in the C17 but rebuilt in the C20 and 2006. The barn was converted into a house in 2006 when windows and doorways were added between the frame panels and a large gabled single-storey extension built to the east side. A small addition was added to the west lean-to in about 2012.
Reasons for Designation
Picketts Farm Barn, a former threshing barn built in about 1452, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
Historic interest:
* as a medieval threshing barn built in about 1452 with an additional bay added in the C17.
Architectural interest:
* as a relatively rare example in Surrey of a C15 crown-post roofed barn, of which there are few survivals in the county;
* a significant proportion of the post and truss timber frame survives and is largely visible internally, including the oak sole plates, large wall panels across both floors, braces, wall plates and part of the crown-post roof structure, specifically the original arch-braced tie-beams, the crown-posts and collar purlin;
* the original three-bay plan form remains clearly legible whilst the south-bay added in the C17, incorporating an earlier stop chamfered ceiling beam from another building, provides additional interest showing how the building evolved to meet the changing needs of Picketts Farm.
Group value:
* with the Grade II-listed timber-framed Picketts Farmhouse; an early vernacular farmhouse built alongside the barn as part of Picketts Farm.
History
Picketts Farm Barn was built as a threshing barn in about 1452. Threshing barns are often the oldest and most impressive agricultural buildings to be found on farms. The most common plan is three bays long, with two storage bays flanking a central bay in which a threshing floor was situated between two large cart entrances on either side, as seen at Picketts Farm Barn. The crop, which could be wheat, barley, oats or rye, was threshed with flails on the threshing floor during the winter; the two opposing doorways providing a through-draught for the winnowing process whereby the chaff was separated from the grain. Surviving threshing floors, often of wood and sometimes of stone flags, brick or earth, are now very uncommon. The three-bay threshing barn plan remained largely unaltered from the C12 until threshing machines were introduced from the late C18. Early machines were usually powered by horses accommodated in a projecting wheelhouse and did away with the need for large cross-ventilated threshing bays. The introduction of the portable steam engine and threshing machine in the 1850s heralded the end of the traditional barn but many were converted into cow houses and fodder processing and storage buildings after the 1880s.
Picketts Farm Barn is associated with a timber-framed farmhouse, later altered in red brick with sash windows and end stacks, located just 15m to the north-west (Picketts Farmhouse, Grade II-listed, List entry 1378023). The following outline history of the barn is largely derived from an archaeological survey report by Martin and Martin (see Sources). The barn was originally constructed as a three-bay threshing barn and has been dated through dendrochronology to about 1452. There were full-height wagon doors to the west side of the central bay and a narrower half-height doorway to the east side. It had daub-infilled walls and a steeply pitched hipped roof. In the C17, an additional bay was built at the south end of the barn and a lean-to outshut added at the south end of the west wall (since rebuilt). The new bay was partitioned off from the rest of the barn and open to the adjacent outshut. A lean-to was later added at the north end of the barn (since demolished) and appears to have functioned as a cattle house, as indicated by mortices and holes/notches for two phases of fixed feeding racks. A further alteration to the barn, probably in the mid-late C18 or C19 was a low boarded wall added to the south side of the central bay, which probably served to prevent grain from bounding off the threshing floor and into the stored crops within the adjacent bay. The east doorway may have been widened at this date, when the northern jamb was removed. Furthermore, grooved posts added to this opening indicate that lift boards were installed, which would have prevented grain from escaping the barn and acted as a deterrent to animals entering the building. Also at around this time, the north lean-to and feeding rack were removed. A further alteration included some form of fixture within the north end bay of the barn indicated by three mortices: possibly a low-floored platform or some form of pen divisions.
By the C20, Picketts Farm Barn was suffering from subsidence and eastward raking and several alterations were made in an effort to stabilise the building. Poles were added as raking shores whilst a breezeblock infill was inserted between the timber frame panels as stiffening. The rafters and collars of the roof were removed and new wallplates added, packed up off the subsided original wallplates. These supported a new roof, which utilised the medieval collar purlin as a ridge plate. The C17 west lean-to outshut was rebuilt wider than previously and the exterior of the barn was weatherboarded.
In 2006, the barn was coverted to residential use. The C20 infill blockwork was removed, insulation installed between the timber-framing, the weatherboarding renewed or repainted, new glazed doorways and windows inserted between the frame, much of the roof renewed or replaced, the west lean-to rebuilt, and a large single-storey gabled extension added to the east side of the barn. A small addition was added to the west lean-to in about 2012.
Details
A former threshing barn, now a house. Built in about 1452 as a three-bay barn with a fourth bay added to the south end in the C17. A lean-to outshut was also added at the south end of the west wall in the C17 but rebuilt in the C20 and 2006. The barn was converted into a house in 2006 when windows and doorways were added between the frame panels and a large gabled single-storey extension built to the east side. A small addition was added to the west lean-to in about 2012.
MATERIALS: timber-framed clad in weatherboarding with a rubble stone plinth and a red tile roof covering.
PLAN: formerly a three-bay threshing barn with two opposing doorways to the central bay before an additional south bay was added in the C17. The three medieval bays are now (2024) an open living space whilst the C17 south bay has a bedroom with en-suite bathroom to the ground floor and two bedrooms and a bathroom to the first floor accessed via a gallery. A lean-to on the west side of the barn contains a kitchen whilst a 2006 single-storey extension on the east side contains a bedroom and two bathrooms: the interiors of these additions are not of special interest.
EXTERIOR: the barn is constructed of a timber-frame on a rubble stone plinth and is clad in weatherboarding with a gablet tiled roof. Both the weatherboarding and tiles were renewed in 2006 when the barn was converted into a dwelling. The east elevation has French doors flanked by side lights to the original half-height doorway of the barn situated beneath three fixed windows in the upper panel. The flanking bays have two-light casement windows to the lower and upper panels, whilst a single-storey gabled addition extends from the C17 south bay. In the main north elevation of this east extension is, from left to right: a two-light casement window, French doors flanked by side lights, a half-glazed door and a single-light casement. There is a two-light casement in the east gable end and three casement windows in the south elevation of the extension. The north elevation of the barn has two two-light casement windows flanking a projecting flue pipe clad in weatherboarding. The west elevation, which originally had a full-height wagon door to the central bay of the medieval barn, is now blind (without openings) except for those to a lean-to attached to the C17 bay at the south end. This lean-to has half-glazed doors to each side and several casement windows. The exteriors of the east extension and west lean-to are of lesser interest.
INTERIOR: the timber frame is largely exposed internally showing that the original three-bay threshing barn was 12.25m long by 6.75m wide with a central full-height wagon door opening at the west and a half-height opening at the east. The medieval frame has jowled principal posts supporting the tie beams and wall plates although an additional wall plate has been added to support the modern rafters of the current roof. The side walls and end walls are subdivided midway along their length by full-height intermediate posts and the wall frame retains nearly all its medieval curved wall braces in-situ. Originally, the frame incorporated no intermediate studs except over the east half-height doorway. However, studs have been added as part of the 2006 conversion. On the west side, the full-height wagon opening has spandrel brackets between the principal posts and wallplate. The doorway is now blocked with studding, insulation and external weatherboarding. At the east, the original half-height opening has French doors and windows inserted between the panels. The south end wall of the medieval barn was internalised by the construction of the additional bay in the C17 and the framing has been removed but it retains its tiebeam and principal posts. A pattern of stave holes and grooves cut into the medieval timbers indicate that the walls were formerly daub infilled. The tie beams of the roof are arch-braced and support two original crown posts upon which is the original collar purlin. A third crown post was added in 2006, whilst the rafters, collars, side purlins and hip rafters also appear to be from the 2006 conversion (though may incorporate some reused timbers). There is a modern fireplace and wood burner at the north end of the barn and a 2006 timber gallery within the third (former end) bay at the south. The walls of the C17 south bay incorporate footbraces (as opposed to head braces) at the upper level and are infilled by original studs. The intermediate post to the end wall is stop chamfered; it is a reused ceiling girder from another building (possibly the nearby farmhouse) and has haunched mortices for joists cut into its side faces as well as rebates for former floorboards. The C17 bay now has a bedroom and a bathroom to the ground floor and two bedrooms and a bathroom to the first floor. At the south end of the west wall is a lean-to*, which accommodates a kitchen. The C20 single-storey addition* at the south end of the east elevation has a bedroom and two bathrooms .
EXCLUSIONS
* Pursuant to s1 (5A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (‘the Act’) it is declared that the interiors of the west lean-to (rebuilt in 2006) and east gabled extension (built in 2006) are not of special architectural or historic interest. However, any works to these features which have the potential to affect the character of the listed building as a building of special architectural or historic interest may still require Listed Building Consent (LBC) and this is a matter for the Local Planning Authority (LPA) to determine.
