Barn to the north-west of Laurel Cottage

Summary

A single-aisled barn, dating to around the first half of the C18, probably built as a threshing barn.

Reasons for Designation

The barn to the north-west of Laurel Cottage, Upham, Winchester, Hampshire, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

Architectural Interest:

* it retains a significant proportion of the aisled barn’s C18 construction;

* as a vernacular building, the barn helps to illustrate historic regional building traditions including evidence for timber framing and brickwork;

* although there have been modifications, the alterations have not unduly affected the historic character and its original form is still clearly legible.

History

The former agricultural building to the north-west of Laurel Cottage dates to around the first half of the C18, possibly earlier. Its overall form, including two large central doors on opposite sides, indicates that it was originally built as a threshing barn. The main part of the barn was four bays with a hipped roof at one end and a gablet at the other, with an aisle on the north side and an outshut to the west. The wall under the east end of the barn consists of C19 brickwork. The porch over the central north entrance is a later modification dating to around the C19.

A group of buildings appear in the location of the barn on the Ordnance Survey One Inch Map (1810). The barn appears in detail on the Parish of Upham Tithe Map (1838) as part of a house and garden plot which included another building to the south, possibly the main house. It was occupied by Elizabeth Jenkins and owned by George Hill Scard, the owner of Upham Lodge and farm to the north. By the First Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1:2500, surveyed 1863, published 1871), the barn is shown in association with the mid-C19 Laurel Cottage. The barn’s footprint includes a small wing attached to the south-west end; this had been demolished by the early C20. The other building occupied by Elizabeth Jenkins in the 1830s, to the south, continued to form part of the same ownership as the barn into the C20; during the C20 it was extended and became a public house before being demolished in the early 2020s.

Details

Barn, dating to around the first half of the C18.

MATERIALS: timber-frame building clad in weatherboarding with brick plinth, and brick and flint end walls, all under a roof with modern metal-sheet cladding.

PLAN: a rectangular footprint running east to west. The building has four bays, with an aisle along the north side of the building and an outshut attached to the west.

EXTERIOR: the barn’s timber frame is set on the brick plinth. The walls are externally clad with weatherboarding of various dates; the earliest comprise wide boards attached with hand crafted nails, particularly evident on the south elevation, while other sections are later narrow weatherboards, particularly found on the north elevation. The east end has a C19 brick wall laid in Sussex bond. The west wall, facing the road, is flint with brick bands and quoins. The barn has several doors which are largely C19 or later. The south elevation’s central principal entrance has a set of plank doors with substantial strap hinges. There are further plank and panel timber doors within the south elevation, as well as a later window opening with round wooden mullions near the south-east end. At the centre of the north elevation is a C19 porch with a further set of plank doors with metal hinges. There is a further set of plank doors providing access to the west outshut, and a wide opening providing access to the east-end bay. The hipped roof is covered in modern metal sheets. The east end is hipped, and the west end is topped by a gablet with an outshut attached below.
INTERIOR: the internal timber frame of the south wall and north-aisle wall consists of sill and wall plates, along with studs and straight and slightly curved braces. Sections of the wall studs have undergone modifications with the insertion of later openings within the south elevation. Timbers have also been replaced within the frame around the central south door. Some of the north aisle wall studs have been removed or replaced, particularly at the north-east end. The east and west end trusses are closed with timber-frame partitions which stand on brick plinths; the frames include several studs and braces rising to wall plates; the framing is clad in wide boards which may be original.

There are four principal trusses with pairs of principal jowl posts. The jowls either side of the central south entrance are flared, while the rest are square cut. There are also four square-cut jowl aisle posts joined to the principal posts by aisle tie beams and brick aisle plinths. Most of the posts retain straight or slightly curved braces rising up to wall plates. Above the posts are tie beams. Three are topped by pairs of straight queen posts, with the exception of the west end truss tie-beam which is topped by four posts; above are collars. Between the trusses are pairs of pegged rafters; some rafters are joined by collar ties. The central bay has lost some of the original rafters particularly on its north face. There are several wind braces which survive between the principal rafters and a pair of clasped purlins. The north aisle roof has lost several rafters at its north-east end.

The west end outshut has a sloping roof; several of the rafters have been replaced over this end. The east end bay is topped by the hipped end of the roof, some rafters have been replaced and further supports have been added. There is also a hayloft with a wide-board partition below, and a platform which sits on the C19 east end brick wall; the platform is likely to be contemporary with the wall.

The majority of historic timbers which survive appear to be in their original locations, and there is evidence of corresponding carpenters’ marks on some of the principal trusses. There are timber pegged mortice and tenon joints throughout. There are a small number of timbers with empty mortices which may have been reused from elsewhere, including some wall studs and collar ties.

Later supports have also been added to reinforce the structure particularly within the roof with the addition of later purlins.

The barn has an earthen floor. An area of cobbles has been recorded under the west-end outshut and late-C19 or early C20 quarry tiles under the east-end bay.

Sources

Other
Ordnance Survey One Inch Map (1810)
Parish of Upham Tithe Map and Apportionment (1838)
First Edition Ordnance Survey Map (1:2500, surveyed 1863, published 1871)
https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/south-east-farmsteads-character-statement/

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