Peppertree Farm Barn (former kitchen)

Summary

Former kitchen, built in the late C15, converted to a barn in the early C19.

Reasons for Designation

The barn at Peppertree Farm, built as a detached kitchen in the late C15 and converted to a barn in the early C19, is listed at Grade II* for the following principal reasons:

Architectural interest:

* it is of more than special interest as a remarkably complete example of a late medieval detached kitchen with integral service bays, and is considered the best surviving example in Suffolk;
* for the high proportion of survival of its late C15 timber frame including jowled storey posts, smoke blackened rafters, heavy close studding, and diamond-mullion window openings;
* it exhibits local distinctiveness in its form, materials and craftsmanship;
* for the clarity with which its early plan can still be understood.

Historic interest:

* as an illustration of the changing socio-economic history of life in the Suffolk countryside, from the origins of the building as a detached kitchen to the neighbouring medieval house, converted to use as a barn in the C19.

Group value:

* for the strong functional and historic group it forms with the neighbouring early-C16 farmhouse at Peppertree Farm, listed at Grade II.

History

The farmstead at Peppertree Farm has evolved from at least the late C15. The detached barn enclosing the north side of the farmyard is the oldest surviving structure on the site, constructed as a detached kitchen to the adjacent hall house in the late C15; it was converted to a barn in the early C19. The farmhouse enclosing the west side of the farmyard appears to have been built in the early C16, and its south side rebuilt or extended in the late C19. The farmstead is recorded on the Tithe apportionment of 1844 as ‘farming premises’ owned by Blyth Foster and occupied by Daniel Downing. The accompanying Tithe map shows the farmstead with the T-plan barn, the rectangular plan farmhouse, and an L-plan farm building enclosing the north, west and south sides of the farmyard respectively; the farm building enclosing the south side appears to have been removed in the early C20. A historic photograph, taken from the south-east in the early to mid-C20, shows the barn with a thatched roof.

Details

Former kitchen, built in the late C15, converted to a barn in the early C19.

MATERIALS: the structure is timber-framed with weatherboarding applied to the exterior; the east and west gables are clad with corrugated-iron sheeting. The roof, formerly thatched, was covered with pantiles in the mid- to late C20.

PLAN: the building is T-shaped on plan and faces south, forming the north side of the farmstead at Peppertree Farm. The three-bay building, detached from the adjacent house comprises a 2-bay open hall type medieval kitchen in the west and centre bays, with evidence of a former cross passage at the east side of the centre bay, and a former storied service end in the east bay.

EXTERIOR: the double-height barn was originally constructed in the late C15 as a detached kitchen to the adjacent house. The pitched roofs are covered in pantiles, and the east side of the main roof is half hipped. The late-C15 timber frame is weatherboarded to the exterior, with corrugated-iron sheeting to the east and west gables and north elevation of the east bay. The front (south) elevation has boarded barn doors to the slightly right of centre with wrought-iron strap hinges, and the C19 porch also has boarded barn doors.

INTERIOR: the interior of the barn comprises a 2-bay former kitchen in the west and central bays, open to the roof, and a former storeyed service end in the east bay (lower end). Within the former kitchen bays, the central open truss features a chamfered and cambered tie-beam, having deep solid arch braces without chamfers rising from jowled storey posts. The roof is of coupled rafters and smoke blackened. The north wall of the west bay has full-height uninterrupted studding with an arched wind brace from the left-hand corner post. The south wall has a mid-rail with close studding. Beneath the mid-rail are two diamond mullioned windows, each of two lights with shutter slides. The tie beam of the west gable retains evidence of a two-light diamond mullioned window immediately beneath, at high level, with evidence of a hinged shutter. The side walls of the lower (east) bay of kitchen were entirely removed in the C19 when the building was converted to a barn but retain evidence of former heavy studding. The front (south) and back (north) walls retain some evidence of cross passage doors. The C19 porch was adapted for use as a two-level storage area in the early C21 and an attic stair introduced where the north cross passage door was once located. The partition truss between the kitchen and service bay contains jowled posts and a tie-beam with evidence of heavy studding and tension windbraces.

The wall framing at the service end is nearly complete. The front wall retains evidence of a window beneath the mid-rail, with a shutter slide. The rear wall has full-height close-studding with a long arched windbrace, and the rear window has a central mullion in place, and evidence for two others. The half-hipped east gable wall has tension braced close-studding and twin windows to the centre of the ground and first floor rooms, separated by a central post. Two mullions survive, all windows were formerly of 4 lights. Evidence of a gablet louvre is quite complete with a double collar at the hip. The roof structure over the service bay is smoke-blackened at upper level only, suggesting there may have been a ceiling over the former service chamber.

Sources

Websites
Suffolk Heritage Explorer, 'HTC 075 - Farmstead: Peppertree farm', accessed 09 December 2024 from https://heritage.suffolk.gov.uk/Monument/MSF25282

Other
Aitkins, Philip and Wade Martins, Susanna, ‘The Farmsteads of Suffolk – A Thematic Survey’, Draft (December 1998), pp32-34

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