Building record 2005/0/10 - Former farm buildings at Southfields Farm

Southfields Farm was associated with the Overstone Hall Estate. The F-shaped range of farm buildings and a detached former carriage house, now a garage, likely date to the mid-C19, with late C20 and early C21 alterations.

{1} History
Southfields farm historically formed part of the Overstone Hall Estate and it is possible that it was one of a number of farms that were built on the estate around the mid-C18. The footprint of Southfields Farm is recognisable on a map dated 1763 within a parcel of land named House Close. The map depicts a building with a long rectangular footprint, with three parallel detached buildings to the south-east and a short range to the north-west. The buildings are shown in the same formation on the 1832 map of the Overstone Hall Estate, but with the north-west range elongated and the central detached building no longer present. However, the 1835 One Inch Ordnance Survey mapping, depicts the central range as being present but omits the north-west range. The buildings are labelled as Southfields Farm on both maps.
A more detailed plan of the farm is included in a fire insurance survey volume of 1875 when the buildings were assigned to J Pell. The farmstead is depicted as having a F-shaped plan, with the two southern parallel ranges now shown as being attached to the main rectangular range. The survey records that all of the farm buildings were constructed of stone and that at this time the farmhouse had a thatched roof with the rest of the buildings having slate roofs. The range adjoining the farmhouse was described as a barn, stables and root house, and the perpendicular ranges described as hovels (a type of open shelter) for wagons and feeding. The detached building to the east was described as a carriage house with adjoining piggeries. By the 1886 and 1901 Ordnance Survey maps the farm was known as South Lodge.
The Overstone Hall Estate was sold at auction in 1921 on the instruction of Mr Harry Mallaby Deeley MP, who had an interest in the estate from 1911. Tenants and cottagers were offered the chance to purchase their holdings and Mr J P Aspinall bought the holding for South Lodge Farm. A photograph of the farm from the auction catalogue shows that the thatched roof of the farmhouse had been replaced with slate by this time. The sales particulars describe a three-storey residence with cellars, featuring seven bedrooms and a fitted bathroom. The ground floor featured drawing and dining rooms with canopy fireplaces, a larder, dairy, and back kitchen with two coppers, a brick oven, range, sink and pump. The outbuildings were described as providing stables and sheltering for cattle, pigs and hens, along with barns, areas for threshing and storage for carts and coal.
Northampton was designated as a New Town in 1968 and the farm was sold to the Development
Corporation. The Southfields estate developed around the farm, with the farmhouse suggested to have been used as the developer’s offices. Maps pre-dating this development suggest there may have been a retaining structure surrounding the south-eastern perimeter of the farmhouse. A small section of this possibly survives in the garden. A two-storey brick annex was added to the rear of the farmhouse and adjoining cottage to incorporate modern kitchen and bathroom facilities. The piggeries were removed from the former carriage house to the south-west and it was extended and turned into a shared garage. The farmhous and cottage were sold around 1980. The rest of the farmstead was retained by Northampton Borough Council, and adapted for use as a community centre and storage. The southernmost range was marked on maps as workshops and a factory from the 1980s. The former barn, known as Clyde House by 2014, was converted to three dwellings, now known as 1-3 Southfieds Barn. As part of the conversion the barn doors were removed, the double height opening to rear was infilled, and the opposite opening was divided to create two new entrances. New window and door openings, glazing and roof lights were added and the interior was
partitioned and modernised.
Details
An F-shaped range of former farm buildings and a detached former carriage house, now a garage, likely dating to the mid-C19, with late-C20 and early-C21 alterations.
MATERIALS: the former farm buildings are constructed of roughly hewn, coursed stone with red brick quoins to exposed corners and slate roofs. Windows and doors are late-C20 or early-C21 and are set within segmental arched openings with red, bullnosed brick dressings. All of the buildings are constructed with timber king post trusses with metal fixings.
PLAN: the farmstead has an F-shaped plan composed of a long linear range of buildings adjoining the
farmhouse at the north-east end. The cottage and former barn and shelters extend south-west, including two parallel spurs projecting south-east. The courtyards are enclosed by stone walls. South-east of the cottage is a former carriage house which is rectangular on plan with an extension to the north-east side. The cottage and former barn are of two storeys while the former shelters and carriage house are all single storey.
COTTAGE
EXTERIOR: The principal elevation of the cottage faces east and projects slightly forward of the frontage of the farmhouse. It features three windows on both ground and first floors with the entrance at the north side of this elevation set beneath a modern lean-to porch. The north bay of the west elevation of the cottage is partially covered with a late-C20 red brick extension, shared with the farmhouse. The other two bays have two modern windows to ground and first floors beneath concrete lintels. The pitched roof features a central ridge stack.
INTERIOR: the interior of the cottage primarily features modern finishes, including a modern fireplace and flooring. There are exposed joists to the ceiling of the ground floor, with some ironmongery still attached within the present kitchen. The underside of the roof trusses is visible to the ceiling of the first floor. There is a panelled niche within a cupboard next to the chimneybreast on the first floor.
1-3 SOUTHFIELDS BARN
EXTERIOR: the former barn is divided into three residential units. The principal elevation of the former barn faces west and features a central, double-height opening, with two smaller, conjoined arched openings to the north and an arched doorway to the south. Each feature brick header courses and all have been infilled with modern doors or glazing. The double-height opening is divided by a central brick partition and inserted first floor. The windows on either side of this opening have arched brick lintels and blue bullnosed sills. These dressings are repeated to the window and door openings to the east elevation inserted during the 2010s renovation. The former threshing opening to this elevation is infilled with matching stone.
INTERIOR: the interior of each of the units features modern fixtures and finishes. King post trusses are visible to the first floors and there is some exposed brick walling.
SOUTHFIELDS COMMUNITY CENTRE AND STORAGE UNITS
EXTERIOR: the former shelter sheds are attached to the south-west side of the former barn and form a
U-shaped range with an enclosed courtyard to the east. They are each of a single storey beneath pitched roofs, with stepped brick eaves and brick kneelers to gable ends. Roughly central to the west elevation is a modern concrete ramp with a metal railing leading to the main door to the community centre. There are two windows to the south side of the door, one with a flat timber lintel, and a series of ventilation slits to the north side of this elevation. There are two further windows and doors to the south-west gable. The adjoining range projecting south-east features ventilation slits with brick surrounds between a single window and door opening. There is a further brick dressed ventilation slit to the south-east gable end. The south-east side of the courtyard is defined by a coped stone wall with a central opening. The south-west and north-east elevations facing into the courtyard each feature multiple window and door openings, including brick arches grouped in threes, with bullnosed edges and chamfered plinths. All are infilled with late-C20 doors or glazing.
The north-east courtyard elevation is blank except for ventilation slits and an opening leading through to the north side of this range. There are six arched openings to this elevation, the western two are infilled with glazed doors, while the four to the east remain open.
INTERIOR: The community centre features an open hall with exposed king post trusses, rafters, and
exposed brick walls. The rest of the space is divided with inserted partitions and features C20 tiled flooring.
The roofs of the parallel ranges are supported by king post trusses and brick walling feature concrete floors. The east end of the north parallel range is an open shelter set within four open archways. It features a slabbed floor and a full-length brick feeding trough with metal dividing rods and tethering fixtures.
FORMER CARRIAGE HOUSE
EXTERIOR: the single storey building has a pitched roof with a small stack to the north-west gable end. The south-east gable features a pair of cart doors flanked by brick dressings and set beneath a concrete lintel. Above is a single window in a brick dressed surround. The north-east side of the building features a modern, gabled extension and garage door.
INTERIOR: the interior of the garage features exposed, painted stone, brick, and blockwork with evidence of former openings that have been infilled.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: the cottage is bounded by sections of stone walling with cock and hen capping, while the walls enclosing the courtyards to the south-east ranges have half round coping on a tiled plinth.

<1> Historic England, 2024, Case Name: Southfields Farm (Designation Advice Report). SNN116582.

Record last edited

Feb 25 2025 7:36PM