Early 19th century outbuilding at Wakelands Farmhouse, Steeple Bumpstead (EHER 80271)

The outbuilding is of attractive traditional appearance, and as such complements the setting of the listed house. It is in good condition, with well-preserved carpentry features representative of the age of its construction.

February 2018. Building survey. The outbuilding is of attractive traditional appearance, and as such complements the setting of the listed house. It is in good condition, with well-preserved carpentry features representative of the age of its construction. The general character of the carpentry of the building - the use of elm, the uniformly sawn timbers but rough tie-beams, the knees and the ridge piece - suggest a date in the first half of the 19th century. The building is shown on the first edition OS map of 1877. It is timber-framed, of four bays, and rendered except for the end walls which are weatherboarded, with a hipped gambrel roof covered with corrugated asbestos sheeting. The walls are primary braced and look mechanically sawn. The tie-beams are very rough timbers, small trees of irregular shape. All the timber is probably elm. The western bay has in recent times been separated off by a blockwork wall below the tie-beam and clad with plasterboard beneath an inserted ceiling. The south wall in this bay shows evidence of rebuilding in brick, whilst the east wall has fletton brick footings. The relatively small size of the building, and its position just to the front of and one side of the main house, suggests it may have been a stable for riding horses, possibly with space for a carriage. <1>