Post-medieval timber-framed barns at Quince Hall Farm, Blackmore (EHER 80848)

Two timber-framed barns, one from the late 17th to 18th century, and the other is late 18th century.

May 2022. Level 2 and 3 building survey. The northern barn is of 18th century date in its present form and is built on brick footings which appear to date to the 17th century or earlier, and incorporates a number of re-used, probably domestic timbers of medieval character. Some of the timbers are smoke-blackened and in one timber there is what appears to be a relict mortice for a mullioned window. Further smoke-blackened rafters are re-used within the farmhouse, and several sets of 16th or 17th century hinges have been re-used across the various farm buildings on the site. The earliest substantially upstanding building on site is the southern barn, which was first built in the late 17th or early 18th century to a rather atypical plan. It seems it cannot have been a conventional threshing barn, since it lacks evidence for a tall cart­ entrances in either of its long walls, although its full-height western half may have been used to store crops. Its eastern half appears to have accommodated above­ ground storage from the start, which would typically have been for a high-value crop, such as grain. The northern barn was rebuilt during the later part of the 18th century, re-using the footings of its predecessor, as well as some of its timbers. This was not rebuilding on a grand scale, since the timbers used are quite meagre, and the scale of the barn remained modest. This is reflective of the farm to which it belonged, which is recorded as having a holding of only around 40 acres during the 18th century. The rebuilt barn was gradually turned to livestock. <1>