Building record 295/0/27 - Jackson's Farm, Helmdon

The barn likely dates to the late 18th century and was part of a U-shaped courtyard farm comprising barns and open hovels. It housed cows, pigs, sheep and chickens. By the 1970’s the open hovels were demolished leaving two barns.

{1} Mrs Jackson held the land, owned by Magdalene College in 1775, the possible origin of the name Jackson’s Farm. No farm buildings are depicted until the 1880 Ordnance Survey map when the farm is
depicted in a U-plan. The Ordnance Survey Map of 1884 shows the farm building comprising a roughly north-south orientated range of two buildings and two roughly east-west orientated open hovels. Jackson’s Farm was owned by James Gulliver in 1912, the farm was used for dairying with pproximately eight cows and some pigs. In 1955 the north-south range was divided into four spaces, an arrangement similar to the current layout. The brick wall separating Rooms 3 (stable) and 4 (food store) in Barn A is a
later division, likely in the first half of the 20th century. The current hay loft may be contemporary as the beam rests on the brick. The positions of the hay rack and mangers in Rooms 2 and 3 may also relate to this period. Part of the wood utilised is probably re-used; there are sockets, joints and holes that do not correspond to the new set-up. The Ordnance survey maps depict a building by the south-eastern corner between 1900 and 1958. A plan of the farm in 1955 locates the Machinery shed in a similar
location. At the time of the visit there was no sign of the machinery shed or the brick
yard. There is a Dutch barn still at the same location.

The U-shaped plan is shown in the Ordnance Survey maps until 1979, when the east-west ranges disappear and the bedded area, to the replaced by a steel frame barn. These can be seen on Google maps. The area is currently concrete and a small section of breeze blocks remain along the northern edge. During the reorganisation of the Farm in the second half of the 20th century, Barn B was probably reconstructed with breeze blocks on the northern and western sides. The roof was also probably raised. The scar on the western southern wall shows a large blocked hole at a height where a beam for the roof would have been, the change of pointing of the wall suggests this. There was no indication that a wall had been removed, Barn B may have had a door against the wall or the barn may have been open or had a more temporary wooden wall.

<1> Wolframm-Murray Y., 2015, Archaeological building recording at Jackson's Farm, Helmdon, Northamptonshire, February 2015 (Report). SNN110471.

<2> Horne, B (editor), 2016, South Midlands Archaeology (46), p. 41 (Journal). SNN111326.

Record last edited

Jan 24 2019 10:28AM