Building record 1965/5/4 - Stables and cow house at Dairy Farm

{1} Building 1 forms a long single-storey structure along the north side of the site and backs onto St. Andrew’s Lane. It faces southwards down the slope of the open yard towards the park. It is built against the east side of the house which forms its western wall. The north wall is built from coursed limestone rubble and appears to be of continuous build with the house although the wall has been pointed around this point . The roof is made of corrugated roofing sheets which clearly replace an earlier covering. A number of panels of corrugated plastic sheeting let additional light into the building. The south facing elevation consists of eleven bays with the four bays on the west being full-height openings supported on brick pillars and the remaining seven have shallow brick arches and low limestone walls. The two most westerly bays have been blocked with modern plywood and a roller shutter door whilst the fourth bay has been partially bricked up to create a small stable type room. The door appears to have been re-used from elsewhere and has a handmade latch with a saltire cross on the end often used as a protection mark. The partially enclosed bays, on the eastern end of the south facing elevation have central doorways to allow animals to enter or leave but the walls and low arches also give a high level of light and ventilation . The eastern end wall of Building 1 butts against the west end of Building 2.
Inside, the western open bays have been divided into smaller spaces by a modern plywood partition and by an inserted wall of brick and limestone in the stable room. The western end of the building has a distinct bulge on the eastern wall of the farmhouse. It is not clear what this is but may be part of a bread oven or similar feature within the house. The roof timbers appear to be of mid 19th century design with bolted raking struts and clasped purlins set below the principal rafters. The collars in the western bays appear to be re-used as they have wide bird-mouth type notches cut into their upper sides.

Possible apotropaic marks can be seen on the most westerly collar which are extremely faint but are in the form of an M and a W. The eastern bays with brick arches are divided into two spaces with a stone wall between the two. The floor has stable paviour blocks sloping down to the south with a step running along the middle. A trough is built at floor level along the northern wall. The roof structure remains the same throughout this building although the collars appear to be purpose-made rather than re-used. Running along the northern side of the western room and attached to the underside of the truss is a squared beam with recesses and metal hooked latches which appear to be for attaching harnesses or halters, possibly during milking. Each latch is numbered with Roman numerals chiselled into the wood going from I to VIIII. The easternmost room is the same as the west but does not have the beam with latches.

<1> Hyam A., 2015, A level 2 Historic Building Recording at Dairy Farm, St Andrew's Lane, Cranford St Andrew, Northamptonshire, p.12-20 (checked) (Report). SNN110176.

Record last edited

Jan 28 2016 10:56AM