Description

STOKE ST GREGORY

1770/0/10004 MEARE GREEN
12-JAN-10 Barn, outshut and single storey range
at Frog Lane Farm

GV II
Barn and attached former shelter sheds. Second half of the C18; the attached structures are slightly later in date.

MATERIALS: Timber framed on coursed and squared local lias footings, with clapboarded coverings. The exterior of the barn has been clad in corrugated metal sheeting (the weatherboarding survives underneath), whilst the shelter sheds have blockwork and corrugated sheeting respectively to their fronts (north east). Their north west and south east walls are masonry with timber framing to the upper sections. The barn roof is clad in corrugated sheeting, the roof of the attached buildings has clay pantiles.

PLAN: The attached buildings are L-shaped on plan. The barn which is sited on a hillslope, is aligned north-west to south-east. The former shelter sheds comprise an outshut built parallel with the north east side of the barn and a single storey range that extends north westwards. These are slightly later in date and appear to have formerly been open-fronted structures, probably cattle shelters.

EXTERIOR: The BARN is rectangular on plan with a half-hipped roof. It appears to contain substantially intact C18 pegged and jointed wall-framing of substantial scantling, with surviving wall posts and wall plate. There are opposing entrances with double doors in the north east and south west elevations, though the latter have been replaced historically The principal (north east) elevations of the former SHELTER SHEDS appear to have previously been open-fronted, evinced by the equally-spaced upright posts that rest on stone pads that are visible within the outshut. The outshut has an off-centre right doorway and two multi-paned windows. This pattern is replicated in the attached range which has a central entrance with a plank and batten door with a small window to either side.

INTERIOR: There are no divisions to the interior of the BARN which has a floor of lias stone flags. The roof structure is based on four trusses: tie beams to the two central trusses and collared principal rafters to the end bays; with two rows of staggered butt purlins and it is all pegged. The timbers, including the common rafters, all appear to date from the C18. Internally, the SHELTER SHEDS retain evidence for having previously been weatherboarded and the pegged roof timbers survive substantially intact, though those to the outshut have been reinforced with angled struts. The interior of the single storey range has been sub-divided with blockwork partitions in the second half of the C20.

HISTORY: These farm buildings are associated with Frog Lane Farmhouse which is dated 1744, though it may be earlier, and was altered in the mid- to late-C19. It is understood that in the C19 Frog Lane Farm was part of the estate of a prominent family, the Barretts, who lived at a large house called Moredon in North Curry.

REASON FOR DESIGNATION
The mid- to late-C18 barn and attached shelter sheds at Frog Lane Farm are designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* They are relatively rare and well-preserved examples of timber framed agricultural buildings in Somerset
* Most of the timber framing is of good quality and displays vernacular building techniques in construction and carpentry
* They are situated close to the Grade II listed mid-C18 farmhouse with which they are historically related, and with which they have group value.

Reasons for Listing

The mid- to late-C18 barn and attached shelter sheds at Frog Lane Farm have been designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* They are rare and well-preserved examples of timber framed agricultural buildings in Somerset
* Most of the timber framing is of good quality and displays vernacular building techniques in construction and carpentry
* They are situated close to the Grade II listed mid-C18 farmhouse with which they are historically related, and with which they have group value.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26672785

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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