Barn Renovation
Once on the point of collapse, this traditional farm building has now been restored to use.
The old brick barn in the farmyard had suffered over the years. The bottom of the front wall had rotted and the wall had sunk down. The roof had followed and was bowed down at the front. It had also moved sideways over the years. The nails holding the roofing battens had rusted and the battens and clay tiles were starting to slip. The end walls had large cracks in them. The barn was in a dangerous state, but it could be saved. It is a traditional farm building in a vernacular style, so was eligible for some grant aid under the Countryside Stewardship Scheme. It has some old graffiti on the walls, including initials believed to have been carved by local historian E. Kimber, and another older set dated 1877.
The barn is covered by the Grade II listing on the cottage, so all plans had to be approved by the local conservation officer. We also had to have a bat survey done, to see if any work would affect the local bats. We have two species of bat on the farm. Luckily they were not using that barn to roost or feed, so work could go ahead. There was a lot of old rubbish in the barn, which Jo had to clear out. An old photograph in a frame was found in the hayloft, with a watercolour painting behind it. We do not know who it is or where the church in the painting is. A little mystery!
The barn was repaired with as few alterations as possible. After monitoring the walls for several months to check that there was no current movement, Jo re-pointed the end walls with lime mortar and the filled the cracks. Then the expert builders arrived. All the tiles had to be carefully removed from the roof and stacked for re-use. The roof was straightened and a few rotten timbers were replaced. Some extra timbers were inserted to brace the roof to prevent future sideways movement.
The whole wooden front wall had to be rebuilt with new oak - no part of the original was salvageable except the top beam. This was straightened by the builders over a few weeks. The brick footings of the front wall were increased in height by two layers of brick to prevent the wall rotting at ground level again.
The doorways were kept at their original height and positions. New doors were designed and made based on the assortment of old barn doors. These include a little hayloft door, that replaces one long gone. Only two old-style strap hinges remained on the old barn doors. These have been put back on the new doors, along with new hinges made by a blacksmith to match the existing ones. Wooden oak latches were made to match others found on the farm. The rotten hayloft floor was replaced with strong new wood. All the old clay peg tiles were brushed clean and put back on the roof. The barn is now a safe and useful building, and everyone agrees it is very handsome.