Building record 6559/1/14 - Cart shed and granary, Heathencote Farm

Late nineteenth century two storey cart lodge built with six open bays facing west. It is constructed of local limestone with orange brick piers and dressings to the arches and first floor openings. It has a shallow pitched slate -covered roof. The first floor was probably used as a granary.

{1} Aligned north east-south west, the building appears to relate to the trackway passing between Heathencote Farm and the farmyard. The building itself is a two storey cartshed built of coursed and squared local stone, the door and window reveals are red bull nosed bricks, the roof is again modern Welsh Slate and is rather striking in appearance. The arched openings are brick as are the piers, with the intention that animals were less likely to enter the building from the yards and damage either themselves or the machinery. There is groundfloor access to the rear of the building via a door in the eastern end of the north gable.
Internally, at groundfloor level, there little of architectural or historical interest remaining; the first floor is carried on substantial axial beams. A number of rase, or shipping marks can be identified on the some of the beams.
First floor access is via a hanging door on the southern corner of eastern elevation. This hanging door suggests the first floor was originally used as a granary, as was common for cartsheds. The door appears to be original and still has a cat hole.
The roof structure remains largely intact and un-altered. The roof is carried on 5 queen post trusses. The advantage of the Queen Post Truss is its ability to span greater distances than the King Post truss and the “box” formed between the horizontal and vertical timbers allowed access along the length of the building within the roof space. In this case, confirming that the first floor was used as storage, almost certainly a granary. As with the timbers recorded on the groundfloor a number of rase marks could be seen on the timbers.
In addition to the rase marks a group of incised circles can be seen on the eastern queen post of the second truss. These circles form an Apotropaic (evil averting) ritual mark and became common from the 17th century; their aim was to protect the building from witches or their familiars and were frequently located near to fireplaces and doors. The most common pattern formed by these incised circles are “Daisy Wheels”, overlapping circles creating a six petal flower, in this example, however, only a four petal flower has been created, whether by accident or by design is unknown. Its location, on a Queen Post near the door suggests that the mark was used to protect the harvest stored in the granary from harm.

{2} Heathencote Farm was part of the Easton Neston Estate which passed through marriage to Thomas George Hesketh in 1867. Hesketh tried to exploit the ironstone at Easton Neston and also improved the farms on the estate. Heathencote farm appears to havebeen improved during this period.

The cart lodge at Heathencote is an attractive building and is part of a farm designed in a regular courtyard plan however it is not an outstanding example and has been too greatly altered to meet listing requirements.

<1> Richards, G., 2013, An Archaeological Standing Building Survey: Heathencote Farm, Heathencote, Northamptonshire, p.8-9 (checked) (Report). SNN109592.

<2> ENGISH HERITAGE, English Heritage Listing File (Report). SNN111579.

Record last edited

Feb 17 2025 7:13PM