19th century timber-framed barn at Lavender Farm, Ford End (EHER 80759)

Mid 19th century timber-framed barn, typical of the Victorian High Farming period.

April 2021. Level 3 building survey. The six bay barn was designed as part of a new factory style farm designed to maximise grain yields and fatten animals for better profits. It has six large bays with two full height porches which would allow wagons to be brought inside to unload making it an easier and more efficient task. Each bay has a primary braced frame with nailed interrupted studwork with upper and lower registers which reduced the need for very long timbers. The porches are connected with full width tie-beams which are reduced in section where they become the top-plates for each porch wall. The frame is reinforced with large hanging knees secured with wrought iron bolts. The strength of the frame is derived from the weather-boards and the laths that skin the exterior. There are only up to seven runs of original weather-boards and the rest was lath and plastered - being a much cheaper solution. The clasped side purlin roof appears entirely original except that the grey slates have been re-laid with an asphalt undercloak. Large sections of the lath and plaster have failed but remain in-situ. The north-east wall has been completely reboarded and the end bays clad with EML and hard cement render over the existing laths. The porch walls have also been overclad with new boards and EML. A blockwork wall was installed between the porches to form a shop for the potatoes. The roof has been re-laid with an asphalt undercloak and the north porch now has a corrugated cement board roof which would indicate the original slates roof were beyond reuse. The barn represents a relatively unchanged timber-framed double Essex barn from the Victorian High Farming period. Built between 1840 and 1873 it is a good example of the era. At Lavender Farm in 1873 we see a fully developed farmyard system fully corralled for animal husbandry. <1>