SNN112617 - Historic building recording at Rectory Farm, Courteenhall, Milton Malsor & Blisworth, Northamptonshire, May-October 2020

MOLA Northampton undertook historic building recording on two barns in advance of the development of a Rail Freight Terminal and associated commercial infrastructure, including warehouses, on land to the south-west of the M1 between Courteenhall, Blisworth and Milton Malsor, Northamptonshire. The barns were given numbers 1-5 for ease of reference. The report covers two foci of historic agricultural buildings, comprising five barns in total, within a rural setting. These may represent one farm complex, but equally could relate to different ownerships. In chronological order the earliest barn is Barn 2 which appears on cartographic sources from the 1820s. Barn 1 dates from the 19th century and although has some constructional similarities with Barn 2, represents a different phase of development, perhaps associated with the need for more storage space within the farm. Barn 5 is an early 20th-century stable range with trough and hayrack. Barns 3 and 4 are late 20th century in date and correspond to the date at which Barn 1 was converted to other usage. Overall this is an interesting example of continued farming and how changing demands within agriculture is reflected within the change, addition or extension of historic buildings.