British Listed Buildings

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Listing Text

DOLTON
SS 51 SE
5/37 Barn at SS 558109 (to east of
Lower Langham)
II
Barn, formerly house. Early C16 with alterations probably of 1574. Stone rubble and
rubble and cob walls. Gable-ended corrugated iron roof.
Plan: the original plan is unclear and may well have been reduced since the quality
of the features is surprisingly high for the simple 2-room plan which survives. The
larger room is to the left, heated by a front lateral stack, a thick wall divides it
from the smaller right-hand room which was probably a parlour heated by a lateral
fireplace in its front corner. At the rear of this room are newel stairs in a
projection. A C19 outshut has been added adjoining this to the left. It is
possible that a cross-passage and lower room have been demolished beyond the large
left-hand room which is likely to have been the hall. This was originally open to
the roof with a central hearth but lack of further evidence in the roof prohibits an
assumption that the house was originally open from end to end although this seems
quite likely. The date stone of 1574 may indicate the date when the hall was
celled, the stacks inserted and the newel stairs added. It is unclear when the
house was downgraded to agricultural use but fairly substantial alterations must
have taken place at that time including the removal of both chimney stacks and a
partial rebuilding of the front wall.
Exterior: 2 storeys but with windows only on the ground floor. Asymmetrical front
with 1 window opening high on ground floor to left of centre and a small opening to
its right. Neither has any remains of windows or frames. Above the left-hand
opening is a stone plaque inscribed with the date 1574 and the name W. Martin below
it, The doorways are in either gable-end wall. The rear elevation has stair
projection to left with out shut built immediately to its right. In the left-hand
gable end wall a straight joint is clearly visible towards the front showing where
the front wall was rebuilt.
Interior: larger left-hand room has 3 chamfered cross beams with hollow step stops.
Blocked lateral fireplace has heavy wooden lintel and rubble jambs. The right-hand
room has 2 chamfered and straight-cut stopped axial beams. Small fireplace in front
corner has hollow chamfered dressed stone jambs and wooden lintel with mason's
mitred stops. At the rear of this room is a chamfered wooden square-headed
doorframe leading to the newel stairs. The original stone steps with wooden treads
survive. On the 1st floor a section of late C16 good quality panelling is preserved
although not in situ.
Roof= one original smoke-blackened roof truss survives over the left-hand room
consisting of straight principals probably cut off at the bottom, with threaded
purlins and cranked morticed collar. Despite this buildings change of use and the
alterations to its exterior it still preserves a number of interesting and good
quality internal features.


Listing NGR: SS5580010900

Source: English Heritage

Listed building text is © Crown Copyright. Reproduced under licence: PSI Click-use licence number C2008002006.