Building record 4156/0/67 - Post-medieval barn

Derelict barn with only three walls surviving. Possibly used for storage rather than as an animal shelter

{1} Three sides of the eastern barn were standing, with the western long wall not surviving above ground level. The northern gable end showed evidence of alterations, with a brick structure having been added to the north-west. Investigation of the western side of the barn revealed a footing for the wall with a narrow rubble core. Originally the barn would appear to have had opposed narrow entrances which were cobbled. Cobbled surfaces extended parallel to the long axis of the barn. At a later date the inner face of the western wall had been lined with two rows of unbonded bricks, which respected the old entrance. Within the barn a series of shallow pits were defined. No artefacts were recovered from the fills and the purpose of these pits is uncertain. Subsequent settling of the fills preserved traces of the later wooden floor of the barn, which had subsided into the depression.

This barn was depicted on the 1806 Estate Map. The alignment of the western wall contrasted with the alignment of the footings of the building to the west, suggesting that they were not contemporary. As the entrances to the barn were narrow, this would suggest that it was not used for livestock. The presence of triangular 'owl-holes' in the gable ends of the barn may indicate that it was used for storage.

Edmondson G., 2010, Archaeological Investigation of Land Adjacent to The Cottons, Rockingham (Article). SNN107496.

<1> Edmondson, G. and Ingham, D., 2003, Land off The Cottons Rockingham Northamptonshire: Archaeological Recording Action, P. 11 (Report). SNN103613.

Record last edited

Nov 19 2020 9:32AM