Barn and farm complex of Old Hall Farm (EHER 29552)

Early 19th century farm complex.

February 2012. Site visit. A range of single storey farm buildings forming the eastern extent of a complex of listed farm buildings (barn and farm complex EHER 29552) situated to the rear (south) of large hay/feed barn fronting the road. The buildings in question are sited nearest to the Old Hall and comprise a former stable/tack room/cartlodge range aligned north-south with an attached, perpendicular set range of former piggeries extending westward from the rear elevation. The latter forms the southern boundary of a stock yard to the north and rear of barns. All date from the early to mid 19th century and are either built in red brick (Flemish bond) or as with the more visible stable, red brick with decorative flintwork panels. The roofs are pitched with hipped ends and covered in either blue slate or later replacement pan tiles. All the buildings are single storey although the tackroom previously incorporated an attic floor (hay storage). A single rough built manger/food trough remains and some areas of brick flooring, but no sign of a hay rack or original doors survive. A small brick hearth heating the tackroom/office also remains but little else. The open-sided cartlodge has been partial rebuilt while the piggeries have been completely reroofed using modern softwood trusses and rafters. Scars on the external walls of the piggeries show the extent and location of the open pig pens on the southern (sheltered) side. Examples of these walls still remain further to the west and outside the scope of the proposed conversion. Generally the buildings are in a poor condition, particularly the roofs over the stable/cartlodge. The buildings are to be converted into a residential annex. In summary a much altered but none the less important part of an early to mid 19th century planned farm. <1> 2019. Building survey. The complex of Barn, Stables, Shelters and Granary is a remarkably complete example of a Victorian High Farm. At Old Hall Farm in 1876 we see a fully developed farmyard system fully corralled for animal husbandry. The buildings have red brick dressed flint and brick panels which offer great weather and vermin protection as well as being attractive and long lived. The materials are cheap, the flints and stones can be picked from the fields by stone picking gangs and many of the bricks are wasters or bats. The timber roofs are made from machine sawn imported softwood but there was a vernacular trend to reuse old waney elm tie-beams probably because of its rot resistant properties. Grey slate was lightweight, allowed for slacker roof pitches and was readily available. The complex was designed with a Barn to store and process grain that had large porches so the wagons could be brought inside to unload. Threshing and winnowing would have been done by machines run by steam engines and later oil or petrol engines. There is a pulley gang at the eastern end of the Barn for running various machines which could include winnowing, gleaning or chopping machines or flour mills and crusher grinders for animal feed. The East and West Range buildings were built as solid storage buildings and may have also contained machines. The central shelter was uses for cattle and horses as needs dictated and has mangers and hay racks. Originally it was twice its current length but half was removed after 1961. The Listing mentions a dairy but this must the long, low building to the south of the Farmyard which was not recorded in this study. In the 1930s repairs were done to the east and west buildings which can be dated through the use of lime mortar bedding which would place it before WW2 and the use of Whittlesea Central 25 bricks confirms this. Very little is left to show when Barn was divided up with blockwork silos and grain dryers installed. Grain drying machinery was installed in the 1960s, only one section in the south wall remains with large round apertures for the fans. There are power boards on the south wall describing the types of machines. The MEM branded control board is marked up with Dymo tape (invented in 1958). The Central Shelter had a corrugated roof installed at this time. The Barn has been incrementally repaired with new boards through the late 20th and 21st centuries. The porch doors are replacements. The West Range has new doors and has been outfitted as a tack room and horse dressing room. The Central Shelter has a makeshift stable added for Ally the horse (who has moved on) and sheep have been kept in with steel fencing. The East Range has been outfitted as a Christmas Shop completed after this survey. <2>