HISTORIC BUILDING RECORDING

FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION AND CONVERSION OF LOWES FARM BARNS, EDGEFIELD,

DECEMBER 2011

PREPARED BY RAVEN LAND MANAGEMENT LTD

FOR

STODY ESTATE LTD

Compiled by T. Schofield Bsc (Hons) Surveying SAL

Raven Land Management Ltd, St Nicholas Lodge, Back Lane, Blakeney, NR25 7NP 01263 740920 [email protected]

1. Contents

1. Contents

2. Project Particulars

3. Description of the Proposal

4. Description and History of the Buildings

5. Photography

5.1 List of plates 5.2 Site Plan Showing Location and Direction of Photographs 5.3 Plates

6. Plans of the Buildings

7. Structural Survey

8. Appendices

8.1 Norfolk Historic Environment Services Brief 8.2 Copy of English Heritage List Entry for Lowes Farm House 8.3 Glossary

2. Project Particulars

Site Name: Lowes Farm Barns

Property Address: Lowes Farm Hunworth Road Edgefield Norfolk NR24 2EX

OS Grid Reference: 607773 / 335435

OS Grid Coordinates: TG 0777335435

Latitude/Longitude: 52.8762, 1.0861

English Heritage UID: 224044 (Lowes Farm House)

NHER Number: 12062

Planning Authority: District Council

Planning Application Number: PF/10/1176

Historic Environment Service Ref: CNF43193

Report Compiled By: Tim Schofield Bsc (Hons) Surv SAL Raven Land Management Ltd St Nicholas Lodge Back Lane Blakeney Holt NR25 7NP

Date: 28th November 2011

On Behalf of: Estate Ltd Stody Estate Office Melton Constable Norfolk NR24 2ER

RLM Ltd Report Reference: 09/01

3. Description of the Proposal

Planning consent was granted by North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) under Reference PF/10/1176 to which the following condition was attached;

‘No development shall take place within the site until the applicant has secured the implementation of a programme of historic recording in accordance with a written scheme of investigation which shall have been submitted to and approved in writing by the local authority.’

This recording has been complied in order to fulfil the intentions of, and to discharge this condition.

The imposition of this condition is due to the barns being adjacent to Lowes Farmhouse, a Grade II listed building, and therefore they form the setting of the listed building. A copy of the English Heritage Listing of Lowes Farmhouse is provided at Appendix 8.2.

The application proposes the conversion of this range of barns to form one unit, to be used as holiday accommodation (Barn 1), and one unit to be used as a residential dwelling (Barn 3 and part Barn 2). In between these two units there will be garaging, a workshop and service areas for Lowes Farmhouse.

The units that will be created will be contained entirely with the envelope of the existing buildings, the scale and massing of the range of barns will not be effected. There will be some remodelling of the external brick walls in the yard to the north of the buildings and enclosed gardens will be created.

The materials that will be used in the conversion will match those that are present in the existing building, any new joinery items such as windows and doors will be in timber in a style to suit.

It is considered that the range of barns are no longer of use for agricultural purposes, none of the openings or spaces within them is suitable for modern agricultural machinery or methods. The proposed conversion of these buildings will secure their long term preservation.

4. Description and History of the Buildings

The Lowes Farm Barns form the southern section of a group of buildings known as Lowes Farm located on the Hunworth Road in Edgefield. The principle structure in this group is The Lowes Farmhouse, a Grade II listed long farm house built in the early part of the 17th century. It is a fine example and much of its internal layout and details remain in their original form.

The range of barns known as The Lowes Farm Barns are made up of three distinct structures, the most prominent being the two story barn at the eastern end of the range, herein called Barn 1 (Plate 4). The central structure is a series of single storey cart sheds and stores, Barn 2 (Plate12). The third element, Barn 3 (Plate 7) is a further card shed that is partially enclosed, again single story the open elevation faces west.

At present Barns 1 & 3 are in a reasonable state of repair, although disused, an extensive programme of repair to the roof of Barn 2 is underway by agreement with the NNDC Conservation Area Team.

As these are distinct structures built at different times, they will be described individually.

Barn 1

General Appearance

In form, the building is a conventional three-part barn for either hand flail threshing or for use as a chaff house. There is no anecdotal evidence to support either use, in the absence of any pitching doors at high level, indicative of a chaff house, it is assumed that the building was used for threshing, the central bay having been the threshing floor. The large, opposed doorways in the north and south sides of the building ensured that the threshing floor was well illuminated by natural light, and this daylight would have extended further into the barn beyond the central bay. The large doorways would also have allowed entry for carts. To the northern side there is a porch which would have provided shelter for carts as they were loaded and unloaded. Originally the porch was a modest structure that extended circa 2.4m beyond the face of the north elevation of the building, however, this structure was extended (Plates 4 & 11) at a later time. This would have had little detriment to the amount of natural light afforded to the interior of the barn, being on the north side of the building.

Storage bays were located either side of the threshing floor, one would have been to store unthreshed sheaves of straw and the other the threshed straw. These storage areas were ventilated by four chequerboard ventilator openings, two per storage bay. Externally the chequerboard brick pattern is simply incorporated into the flint masonry (Plate 2), whereas internally they infill window like openings set into the flint masonry with brick quoins and timber lintels and brick arches above (Plate 21). These ventilator openings are mirrored in the side walls of the porch where two smaller ventilator openings are provided in a similar style.

In this area of North Norfolk chequerboard ventilation windows are common in both threshing barns and chaff houses, there are many examples in barns located between and and the North Norfolk Coast.

In addition to the ventilation windows there is a breather slit in the peak of the east and west gables (Plates 4 & 25). Both of these slits are of sufficient width to have also functioned as owl holes. Below the breather slit on the west gable the brick quoin detail extends below to form a panel that has been rendered with the date ‘1864’ decoratively scratched into the surface of the render.

On the north elevation of the Barn, to the east of the porch there is evidence of a previous lean to structure that would have covered the ventilator opening. There is an obvious scar from the lime mortar flashing that would have created a watertight detail where the roof abutted the face of the elevation, a narrow opening that has been brick up and a number of repaired sockets immediately below the roof line scar that would have carried the roof structure (Plate 26). It is not known when, or for what purpose this lean to structure was constructed, the timing of its removal is also unknown.

Other than the window style ventilator openings the other notable details within the barn are the two alcoves that are built into the brick quoins on the internal corners where the walls of the porch meet the north elevation. To the west side is the alcove is four courses high and one and a half courses deep. The top is crudely formed by two rubbed bricks leaning against one another at roughly a 30 degree angle (Plate 22). To the east side the alcove is rectangular, is four courses high and only one deep. The head is formed from a rough sawn oak board. It is not known what purpose these alcoves served.

Structure

The Barn is of traditional rectangular footprint and is constructed from solid masonry walls of random flint work interspersed with brick headers. The building was well built and has substantial brick quoins at the external and internal corners and at the reveals to openings. The barn roof is in five bays with a larger central bay over the threshing floor, with four timber ‘A’ frame trusses and two timber ties at the gables (Plates 16 & 17). These support a single set of purlins to either side with timber rafters above, at the walls these sit on substantial timber wall plates. There is no evidence of any carpenters marks. The roof covering is in traditional clay pantile.

The floor of the barn is brick paviours to the threshing floor and compacted earth elsewhere.

Barn 2

General Appearance and Structure

This range of cart sheds is currently undergoing essential maintenance to the roof structure, strengthening of the trusses and replacement of the rafters and purlins has all been carried out. The Barn is divided into two sections of roughly equal proportions by a random flint masonry wall, both the east and west sections are split into three bays with timber columns supporting the roof structure to the open front aspect (Plate 12). The three external walls are a combination of random flint work with brick and concrete block infill panels where openings have been blocked up or repairs made.

The roof is of dual pitch with a central ridge orientated east/west is constructed from four ‘A’ frame timber trusses supporting a single row of timber purlins to either pitch with timber rafters above.

The ground level to the south and to the east of the building is approximately 1m higher than the concrete floor of the building, notionally the south and east walls of the building are acting as retaining structures (Plate 5).

Barn 3

General Appearance and Structure

This building is of a more recent construction than the other two barns. It is constructed from red brick, predominantly laid in Flemish bond and is planned as a partially enclosed cart shed. The southern gable the brick work tumbles in from the eaves, although this detail is not carried through to the ridge (Plate 1). The barn is rectangular in plan and split into three bays, two of which are open to the west elevation with the third being enclosed (Plate 6). The gabled north elevation is plain brickwork with a blocked up doorway with a rubbed brick arch, common engineering bricks have been used to block up this opening (Plate 13).

The east elevation has a number of blocked up openings; the brick work to these is in varying styles and from different periods (Plate 8). There are two doorways in this elevation, the northerly door provides access to the enclosed bay and is an unsupported opening with timber lining from which is hung a modern metal stock gate. The other opening has no door, the brick work above being supported by a timber lintel. The construction of this wall can be seen where the door lining has been removed to the southerly opening (Plate 19).

The roof structure is divided into three bays by ‘A’ frame timber roof trusses that support a single row of purlins to each pitch, to which is bolted a modern sheet metal roof covering system.

Within the building there is a timber door leant against the south wall, the door is a good example of a ventilated timber door probably used to secure a food store (Plate 20). There is also an alcove set into the brickwork of the east wall (Plate 24); this alcove is five and a half courses high and one course deep. It is formed with a timber shelf and a timber lintel. The floor of the building is compacted earth to the open bays and concrete to the enclosed bay.

This building has been altered and adapted many times since construction, this will have been as a result of many changes of use, although there is no anecdotal evidence of these uses other than as a store.

5. Photography

5.1 List of Plates

1. General view of barns from fields looking east north east showing part enclosed west elevation of Barn 3 2. General view of Barn 1 looking north showing south elevation with ventilator openings and door opening 3. General view of Barns looking north west showing gabled east elevation of Barn 1 4. Oblique view of east gable and north elevation of Barn 1 showing the extended porch 5. General view of the Barns – south elevation 6. West elevation of Barn 3 enclosed along one third of its length 7. Oblique view of north and west elevations of Barn 3 8. Barn 3 west elevation 9. Oblique view of Barn 3 north and east elevations 10. North elevation of Barn 1 showing ventilator openings and extended porch with part timber clad gable 11. Oblique view of Barn 1 showing west gable and extended porch 12. North elevation of Barn 2 being restored after partial collapse of roof 13. North elevation of Barn 3 showing blocked up opening and different types of brick 14. West wall of porch showing extension line in the flint work 15. Detail of ventilator opening in north elevation of Barn 1 to the west of the porch showing brick eaves and roof scar from previous structure 16. Barn 1 interior looking east 17. Interior of Barn 1 looking west 18. Interior of Barn 1 looking north into the extended porch 19. Interior of Barn 3 looking north 20. Interior of Barn 3 looking south 21. Interior detail of ventilator opening in north elevation of Barn 1 showing wooden lintel with brick arch above 22. Alcove in brick quoins at junction of porch west wall and north elevation of Barn 1 23. Alcove in brick quoins at junction of porch east wall and north elevation of Barn 1 24. Interior of Barn 3 looking east, alcove in brick work 25. Western gable of Barn 1 showing ventilation slit and render panel with date ‘1864’ scratched in 26. Detail of Barn 1 north elevation to the east of the porch showing ventilator opening, roof scar from previous structure and brick in narrow opening 27. Barn 1 south elevation, detail of ventilator opening 28. General long distance view of the barns from the south east showing Lowes Farm House in background to the left

5.2 Site Plans Showing Location and Direction of Photographs

5.3 Plates

Plate 1

Plate 2

Plate 3

Plate 4

Plate 5

Plate 6

Plate 7

Plate 8

Plate 9

Plate 10

Plate 11

Plate 12

Plate 13

Plate 14

Plate 15

Plate 16

Plate 17

Plate 18

Plate 19

Plate 20

Plate 21

Plate 22

Plate 23

Plate 24

Plate 25

Plate 26

Plate 27

Plate

6. Plans and Elevations

7. Structural Review

APPENDIX 8.1

Norfolk Historic Environment Services Brief

Brief for Historic Building Recording at

BRIEF FOR HISTORIC BUILDING RECORDING AT Lowes Farm Barns Edgefield NORFOLK

PLANNING AUTHORITY: North Norfolk PLANNING APPLICATION NO.: PF/10/1176 HES REFERENCE CNF43193 NHER NO. FOR THIS PROJECT: 12062 GRID REFERENCE:

ISSUED BY: Stephen Heywood Historic Buildings Officer Historic Environment Service Environment, Transport and Development Union House, Gressenhall Dereham, Norfolk NR20 4DR

Tel: 01362 869293 (direct) stephen.heywood @norfolk.gov.uk

DATE: 28th November 2011

Summary

The development proposal affects a group of agricultural buildings of 18th-century date and later adjacent to a listed building dated to 1637

Planning Permission has been or may be granted subject to a condition for a programme of historic building recording.

1. Policy Background.

The relevant planning policies can be found in :- North Norfolk District Council’s North Norfolk Local Plan Adopted Version (April 1998), policy 45. and The Department of Communities and Local Government Planning Policy Statement 5: Planning for the Historic Environment (March 2010).

2. Archaeological Background.

The proposed development a group of farmbuildings adjacent to Lowes Farm which is a designated heritage asset. The barns are themselves of special interest and affect the setting of the main asset.

3. Planning Background.

Planning Permission has been or may be granted, subject to a condition for a Programme of Historic Building Recording.

4. Requirement for Work.

A Historic Building Recording survey is required to adequately record the structure in its current state before conversion.

The Record should be produced on the accompanying pro forma, providing as much information as is known as directed on the form. Additional advice can be obtained, if necessary, from either of the people named on the front of this brief. The photographic survey should take into account the following factors (taken from English Heritage 20061, p10 - 12).

Prints must be produced of photographs (whether digitally acquired or not), no more than two per sheet of A4, on good quality printing paper. When preparing files for printing, a resolution of 300dpi at the required output size is appropriate. Digital photographs must be submitted in .jpg or .tif format, and should not have been subject to any digital processing.

Site photography must include:

1. A general view or views of the building (in its wider setting or landscape).

2. The building’s external appearance. Typically a series of oblique views will show all external elevations of the building, and give an overall impression of its size and shape. Where an individual elevation embodies complex historical information, views at right angles to the plane of the elevation may also be appropriate.

3. The overall appearance of the principal rooms or spaces. The approach will be similar to that outlined in 2 above.

1 English Heritage (2006) Understanding Historic Buildings: A Guide to Good Recording Practice

4. Any external or internal detail, structural or decorative, which is relevant to the building’s design, development or use and which does not show adequately on general photographs. When photographing details it can be helpful to include a clearly marked and suitably sized scale next to the subject and parallel to one edge of the photograph. This must include photographs of the roof structure, details of openings (doors, windows etc.) and any changes in construction materials or techniques.

5. Any machinery or other plant, or evidence for its former existence.

6. Any dates or other inscriptions, any signage, makers’ plates or graffiti which contribute to an understanding of the building or its fixtures or machinery, if not adequately captured by transcription. A transcription should be made wherever characters are difficult to interpret or do not show clearly on photographs.

7. Any building contents or ephemera which have a significant bearing on the building’s history (for example, harness hanging mounts or feed racks), where not sufficiently illustrated in general photographs.

Hard copies of the report must be provided, as specified below.

Three hard copies and a digital copy on CD of the Report (preferably in PDF format) should be supplied to the Historic Environment Service for the attention of the Zara Dack (Historic Environment Assistant) within eight weeks of the completion of the fieldwork on the understanding that this will become a public document after an appropriate period of time (generally not exceeding six months). Two hard copies and the PDF file will be deposited with the Norfolk Historic Environment Record, and the third hard copy will be forwarded to the Local Planning Authority.

This brief is valid for a period of one year from the date of issue. After that time, it may need to be revised to take account of new discoveries, changes in policy or the introduction of new working practices or techniques.

APPENDIX 8.2

English Heritage List Entry List Entry Summary

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

Name: LOWES FARM HOUSE

List Entry Number: 1049207

Location

LOWES FARM HOUSE

The building may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

County: Norfolk District: North Norfolk District Type: District Authority Parish: Edgefield

National Park: Not applicable to this List entry.

Grade: II

Date first listed: 12-May-1975

Date of most recent amendment: Not applicable to this List entry.

Legacy System Information

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System: LBS

UID: 224044

Asset Groupings

This List entry does not comprise part of an Asset Grouping. Asset Groupings are not part of the official record but are added later for information.

List Entry Description

Summary of Building

Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.

Reasons for Designation

Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.

History

Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.

Details

EDGEFIELD TG 03 NE 2/14 Lowes Farm House 12.5.75 II

House, dated 1637 on internal post, with later additions. Coursed flint with brick dressings, steep pantile roof. Single range, 4 bays, 2 storeys and attic. Internal gable end stacks with shafts set back from gables; projecting gable parapets. Front: flint plinth with moulded brick cap, patterned brickwork of lozenges; 4 windows enlarged and changed 1976, wooden mullioned and transomed casements. Central doorway. Left hand gable in flint with brick pattern work of lozenges and looped zig-zags; windows with brick frames and moulded brick hood moulds; two attic windows with brick mullions. Lean-to extension below, and 2 storey addition to right hand gable of no special interest. Interior: wall post supporting bridging beam in right hand room has carved head with strap work and initials RAG GAR 1637. Left hand room has roll moulding with decorative stops on principal beams.

Listing NGR: TG0777335435

Selected Sources

Legacy Record - This information may be included in the List Entry Details.

Map

National Grid Reference: TG 07773 35435

The below map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. For a copy of the full scale map, please see the attached PDF - 1049207.pdf

© Crown Copyright and database right 2011. All rights reserved. Ordnance Survey Licence number 100019088. © British Crown and SeaZone Solutions Limited 2011. All rights reserved. Licence number 102006.006.

This copy shows the entry on 25-Nov-2011 at 05:12:10.

APPENDIX 8.3

Glossary

Advanced Entry Bay A small cell or block that extends forward from the main front wall of a building and contains a doorway or other entrance

Bay Regular structural subdivision of a building; the bays may be marked by roof-trusses, beams, etc

Breather Slit Narrow vertical slit to provide ventilation

Chaff House Room for storage of animal fodder

Gauged Arch Flat arch with a slightly cambered soffit (q.v.), often made of brick rubbers (q.v.)

Peg Tree-nail (wooden pin) used to fix a joint between timbers

Plat-band Flat, square face band with a projection less than its height

Rubber Soft brick that can be sawn and rubbed to the required shape, used for making gauged arches

Soffit The underside of an arch, vault or any exposed architectural element

String Course Horizontal course or moulding projecting from the surface of a wall

Tie Beam Main tansverse beam in a roof truss connecting the feet of the principle rafters and preventing the spreading of the two sides of a sloping roof

Tumbled Gable Gable in which the bricks by the eaves are laid at 90 degrees to the slope of the roof line, forming a pattern of a sequence of triangles where these bricks taper in to the horizontal course below

Ventilator Openings Openings through a wall to provide ventilation. Usually formed by omitting bricks, and arranged in various patterns