19th century farm buildings at Old Dairy, Hartford End (EHER 80860)

The buildings represent a complex of farm buildings set up as part of a High Farm between 1839 and 1875.

October 2023. Level 3 building survey. The buildings represent a complex of farm buildings set up as part of a High Farm between 1839 and 1875. All of them were erected at this time. To the north was another farmyard which comprised of more historic buildings which were converted into dwellings in 2019 or after. The brick buildings are good examples of their type and retain much of the original roof structure but all the coverings were replaced between 2000 and 2006. The dairy, barn, store, and east and west stables were constructed at the same time using the same bricks and roofing details between 1839 and 1875. While the Barn is clearly made from reclaimed timbers as was common early in this period, the other buildings have machined timber roofs of elm and softwood that became commonplace by the mid 19th century after the 1850s. It is likely the barn was put up first as all the other buildings are built off it but the complex was a single project as part of the improvement of the farm to Victorian High Farming objectives. At Littley Park in 1875 two fully developed farmyard systems have developed for animal husbandry, surrounded by fenced paddocks. The fabric of the buildings remained fairly constant until there was a large scale repair and renovation scheme between 2000 and 2006 when the dairy was converted into a cottage and all the other farm buildings were retiled, reboarded and reroofed. Concrete and brick aprons were laid and the stables were outfitted with new doors and concrete floors. The central stable was added in this period. <1>