Crossroad Farm, Easton Royal Heritage Assessment
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Crossroad Farm, Easton Royal Heritage Assessment CROSSROADS FARM, EASTON ROYAL January 2021 Ian Lund Dip Urban & Regional Planning Dip Arch Cons IHBC Westbourne Cottage Westbourne Road Trowbridge BA14 0AJ Crossroad Farm, Easton Royal Heritage Assessment 1. Introduction 1.1 I have been commissioned by Tom and Fay Doyle to provide a heritage assessment intended to inform possible works at Crossroad Farm, Burbage Road, Easton Royal SN9 5LS. If appropriate, the report will accompany an application by Smith Associates architect for planning approvals. Crossroad Farm is a listed building and this assessment seeks to briefly define which elements are of heritage significance before discussing the extent and impact of the proposals on that significance. 1.2 National planning policy requires an applicant to describe the significance of heritage assets that may be affected by new development, and an appropriate level of specialist expertise is expected to be applied to the decision-making process. The first step for all applicants is to understand the significance of any affected heritage assets and, if relevant, the contribution of their setting to significance. The proposals in this case relate to external repairs and minor internal alterations and the level of detail in a heritage assessment is expected to be proportionate, and no more than is sufficient to understand the potential impact of the proposals on the significance of the building. This assessment follows the general approach advocated in Historic Environment Good Practice Advice in Planning Note 2 1 and Statements of Heritage Significance Advice Note 12 both published by Historic England 2 following consultation with relevant professional bodies. 1.3 I am a retired chartered town planner with over 40 years experience of appraising development proposals in the historic environment. I am a member of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation and a past member of the Central Council, and Chairman of the South West Branch. The assessment has been carried out in accordance with Conservation Professional Practice Principles published by the IHBC in 2017. 1.4 The report is largely based upon research, and an inspection of the building, undertaken on 29 December 2020. ___________________________________________________________________ frontpiece : Photo 1. The east elevation of Crossroad Farm Crossroad Farm, Easton Royal Heritage Assessment 2. Background Context 2.1 The Parish of Easton is typical in that it is long and narrow, and contains an area of chalk upland and a zone of greensand that is lower lying. The settlement now known as Easton Royal grew up below the chalk escarpment alongside an ancient Roman road running north to south. The road is thought to have connected Cirencester, via Cunetio (at Mildenhall), to Old Sarum 3. Easton Royal was located where this road intersected with the west-east tracks running through the Vale of Pewsey. 2.2 A small Trintarian friary was founded at Easton in 1245 to provide monastic hospitality for poor travellers along the main north-south trackway. Along with many others, the friary was dissolved in 1538. The route was also abandoned. To the north its course may have been blocked by the emparking of land at Savernake, and better north-south roads were developed. Chandler suggests the old route may not have followed the village street 4. Rather, it may have run a parallel line about 100m to the east. 2.3 The northern part of the parish historically lay within the royal Savernake Forest. Following the dissolution the whole of the parish was, in effect, coupled through the custody of Edward Seymour who was granted custody of the friary. The ownership of the village eventually passed into the hands of the Ailesbury estate for many generations. The outlying parts of the estate, including Easton Royal, were only sold away in 1929. 2.4 As the name implies, Crossroad Farm is located near the junction of the main north- south street with the Pewsey to Burbage road near the north end of the village. It takes access off Burbage Road (B3087). 2.5 A map prepared by Andrews & Dury gives an idea of the basic layout of the settlement in 1773. The stagger in the road junction was removed in 1960 the middle of the 20th century. Crossroad Farm, Easton Royal Heritage Assessment Map 1. Andrews and Dury Map of 1773 – the location of Crossroad Farm is indicted by a red arrow 2.6 According to the Victoria County History in c1600 there were apparently 23 small farmsteads at Easton with each farmhouse having a close behind. However, it is stated that all these farmhouses have been replaced. Possibly these medieval properties once lined the Roman trackway on the eastern alignment, and the current village street developed along an old back lane. Development along the street must have commenced by the medieval period as timber frames, apparently from the 14th century, have been noted by the Wiltshire Building Record within buildings fronting the existing street. 2.7 Farm units must have been rationalised over the generations and the Wiltshire Council’s Community web pages indicate that there were only eight farms in the entire parish by 1867. Five of these are named on the First Edition of the O.S map of 1879. However, the property known as Crossroad Farm is not identified by name. Crossroad Farm, Easton Royal Heritage Assessment Map 2. Map of 1879 with Crossroad Farm arrowed 2.8 Information from the Community web pages indicate “Farms in 1929 were both mixed and dairy, and mixed farming continued into the late 20th century. By 1989, 1500 acres of land were being farmed by three families, in use as mixed agriculture including 200 cattle and 1100 breeding ewes. By 1914 most people kept a pig in their garden and everyone grew vegetables. It was the job of the sons of the house to clean the pigsty and take manure to the allotment.” 3. Understanding Crossroad Farm 3.1 Crossroad Farm consists of only a ground floor plus an attic, and is thus partly hidden from the Burbage Road by a tall boundary hedge. Little more than the thatched roof is readily visible from outside the plot. The area immediately around the junction contains a number of facilities including the village hall, a playing field, bus stop, telephone call box and a Royal Mail post box. 3.2 The property was listed as a building of special architectural or historic interest in June 1988. An accompanying description states: Farmhouse, now house at right angles to road. C17. Timber framed and colourwashed brick with thatched roof. Single storey and attic, 3 bays. Lobby entry plan with entrance on east side. Framing 3 panels high with Crossroad Farm, Easton Royal Heritage Assessment corner braces. Six panelled door, the upper panels glazed. Paned casement windows and flush dormer to centre bay to each side. C19 shaped barge boards to south gable. Roof half hipped with C18 brick stack. Pantiled extension on north end with C20 extensions added to east side. 3.3 The Wiltshire and Swindon Historic Environment Record indicates that the site formed part of a 17th century farmstead of regular courtyard plan with the farm buildings being dispersed across multiple yards. The farmhouse is set away from the yard. However, the entry goes on to say that the farmhouse is the only surviving historic structure. Whilst it is entirely possible that the property once formed part of a larger historic farmstead there is a lack of evidence to support a date of construction for the farm buildings. 3.4 An aerial photograph of 1959, however, substantiates the property was part of a farm in the middle years of the 20th century. A barn is apparent to the east of the farmhouse, where detached houses now exist, and open fronted structures are visible to the north, and attached to the northern end of the house. Photo 2. Showing agricultural buildings on the east side of the farmhouse. Open fronted structures exist at the north end which have been subsequently replaced by a ground floor extension, and the projecting storm porch has not yet been built. Crossroad Farm, Easton Royal Heritage Assessment 3.5 Whilst there is little to suggest that the property could be one of the medieval farmhouses referred to above (2.6) possibly it is a replacement cottage once occupied by a tenant farmer of the Ailesbury estate. In a discussion on the social status of the traditional rural house, Slocombe refers to manor houses, and glebe farms belonging to a Rectory or Vicarage. Below this level were yeoman farmers and husbandmen 5. Crossroad Farm seems to be of the scale that might have been occupied by a husbandman. Typically these were the descendents of medieval villagers who each had only a few acres, and other trades or casual work for a larger farm was needed to maintain a living. 3.6 The core of Crossroad Farm has a basic linear footprint. The main range runs on a north-south axis with a front door facing eastwards. There are no cellars or basements, and only one winding staircase connects the ground to the first floor. Essentially it consists of three and a half bays: the southern bay - the chimney half bay - and then another two bays north of the stack. There are further single storey structures at the north end, the storm porch covering the main entrance door, and a detached garage, but these are manifestly not of special interest and are not considered further here. Diagram 1. Existing plan form (Smith Associates) Crossroad Farm, Easton Royal Heritage Assessment 3.7 The main roof is covered with wheat straw. A Conservation Area Statement for the villages states: “Thatch was the roof covering for most buildings in the village until the 19th century.