Monument record 9105/0/1 - Shelter shed, Mears Ashby

Stone built shelter shed with brick detailing. Pantile roof. Likely to be C19

{1} (SP83886737) Sketch plan & colour photos attached.
South facing rectangular plan field shelter with its blind north wall placed against a field boundary. Constructed of mortared rough coursed ironstone with brick openings and corners. Modern roof with clay pantiles to south and corrugated asbestos sheeting to the north.

The building measures approximately 10.5 by 4.25m internally and 11.50 by 5.10m externally. Set off-centre in the south wall are two brick edged openings, each 1.85m wide and extending to full wall height (in excess of 2m) either side of a 0.34m wide brick pier. The bricks on the interior corners have rounded edges; the openings simple flattened segmented brick arches. The two openings lead to a large open interior with a single narrow brick partition (possibly inserted) at the east end extending to roof level and defining a narrow c1.30m wide (?store) room with a single undecorated narrow opening providing limited light/ventilation high up in the south wall. The west elevation of the partition wall is lime or whitewashed. Access is provided by a c1.50m opening at the south end of the partition wall.

Abutting the west side of the partition wall and across the full width of the west end of the interior are two modern inserted brick walls, some 0.80m high atop a concrete foundation, forming c0.70m wide feed or similar ‘bins/troughs’. A wooden hay rack occupies the partition wall above that at the east end.

Externally, immediately below eaves level on the north and south walls is a small decorative concession in the form of a single dog-toothed decorated brick course. The wooden roof structure appears to be of recent construction. No hard surfaced floor was observed though this may be obscured by animal trampled mud.

At the eastern end of the building, the lower part of the east wall extends south for a short distance. This partially demolished wall stump must be the remnant of a yard or boundary wall that extended south, all other visible traces of which are lost.

The shelter remains in active use for stock with a rather haphazard series of wooden and metal fenced pens and fencing adjoining its south side. The eastern store room is used to store tractor tyres and other material.

A building, almost certainly this one, is present at this location on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey 1:10,560 plan. It was probably built sometime in the 19th century (but just possibly slightly earlier?) as a post-enclosure field animal shelter with storage provision at its eastern end.

Management Recommendation:
The building is generally in very good condition with only a small number of the pantiles and ridge tiles requiring replacement. Some attention may be required to the flashing at the gable ends. In the longer term it would be good to see the asbestos roofing sheets on the north side replaced with pantiles, though it is recognised that this is not a priority.

In the absence of a county-wide assessment of agricultural farm and field buildings it is not possible to advise on the relative historic environment importance of this building. However it is clear that the shelter makes a valuable contribution to local distinctiveness and landscape character being a highly visible feature of an otherwise much improved landscape. Further research would be required to determine more precisely its date of construction and how this related to other developments. Was it for example part of wider farm building construction and /or improvement programme or merely a one off build?

Field buildings such as this are believed to be a declining resource in Northamptonshire. On the basis of current evidence the Historic Environment Team would attach a high priority to long term conservation of this shelter. In this context the minor repairs necessary to safeguard the roof would in our opinion merit high priority attention.

<1> Cadman G., 2002, Land At Mears Ashby, Site Inspection 24th September 2002, (unchecked) (Notes). SNN102309.

Record last edited

Jun 9 2023 12:13PM