SNN115372 - Historic Building Recording: Barns at Rectory Farm House, Kettering Road, Walgrave, Northamptonshire

In March 2023 KDK Archaeology Ltd carried out Historic Building Recording of Barns at Rectory Farm House, Kettering Road, Walgrave, Northamptonshire in order to fulfil a condition of planning consent. The farm is located c.2.5km northeast of the village of Walgrave and comprises a complex of brick-built outbuildings to the east of the former farm house and a steel framed former grain store, now a vehicle workshop. There is very little documentary or cartographic evidence for the history of the farm, but the structural evidence suggests that it was built in the mid – late 19th century and considerably altered in the first quarter of the 20th century when two buildings were erected in the southern part of the farmyard and the present stables and stall were installed within formerly open fronted buildings, and the store was enlarged. The dairy was added to the west of the southernmost building at the same time. The steel-framed grain store was added in the middle of the 20th century and the northern building within the original farmyard was partially converted in the early 21st century. Many historic features have survived including the platform for the threshing machine, the drive shaft and fly wheels, the brick-built floors within the threshing barn, the internal fittings within the stables and stall, and the king post roof trusses in many of the buildings.