Description

TL 23 SE CLOTHALL CLOTHALL ROAD (A507)
(North east side)

6/90 Barn at Clothall Bury,
20 metres. NE of
farmhouse
19.11.84

GV II

Barn. C16 in origin, built in part re-using elements of an earlier barn dated by dendrochronology to 1367. Timber framed, partly clad in weatherboarding with some brick and wattle and daub infill. Partly encased and under built with C18 brickwork. The east wall is rendered for the most part. 7 bays with gabled cart entrance in the third and sixth bay from the north, without doors. Originally another entrance opposite in the third bay is now occupied by a late C19 threshing bay erected in yellow brick with a slate-covered and gabled roof supported by king post trusses with angled struts. The window openings of the threshing bay, three on the north side and two on the south, are small and segmental headed containing timber frames forming three tall lights. The east gable end contains a large cart entrance, the doors of which are missing. A standard doorway on the south side, close to the barn.

INTERIOR: Substantially intact, aisled, C16 timber framed structure. Tall panel, morticed and pegged framing. An area of framing is missing at the north west corner. Arcade posts supporting tie beams, braced three ways to the tie beams and arcade plate. Braces are C16 in the main with at least one possibly from 1367. Aisle ties, with down bracing, connect the arcade posts to the aisle posts. Queen struts support roof purlins with rafters apparently largely intact. Of great interest is the amount of re-used timbers dated to 1367. These include, at least, pairs of arcade posts in, (from the north), the exterior, first, and fourth cross frames, the west arcade post in the second cross frame and a section of arcade plate in the fifth bay from the north on the west side. There are other miscellaneous sections of framing which exhibit redundant mortices. A window opening survives in the east wall, now blocked.

HISTORY: The barn stands adjacent to the former manor house, dating from the C15 (listed Grade ll). In addition, to the south east, there is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, thought to be a manorial enclosure, contained within a raised bank and ditch. Here, there are a series of ponds known locally as fishponds. Evidence of an ancient manor implies that an earlier tithe barn stood on or near the site of the present barn and that the surviving elements dated to 1367 are remnants of such a barn. There is also an C18 stable block to the north west (listed Grade ll). The O.S. map published in 1882-4 shows that by this time Clothall Bury barn was part of a farmstead development arranged around a large square yard and that a range attached to the north west corner of the barn linked it to the east end of the stable block. This range has now been demolished. The 1882-4 map does not show the brick threshing bay which today is attached to the east side of the barn. It was erected between 1882 and 1899, as it is shown on the ordnance survey map published in 1897-9.

SOURCES:
Arnold A.J et al, Tree-Ring Analysis of Timbers from Clothall Bury barn, Clothall, Near Baldock, Hertfordshire. English Heritage Report Series 51/2003

SUMMARY OF IMPORTANCE:
The Barn at Clothall Bury is a largely intact example of a timber-framed, C16 tithe barn containing earlier reused timbers dated by tree ring analysis to 1367. These are likely to be reused elements of an earlier barn which stood on or near the site of the present structure. A range was added to the northwest corner of the barn by 1884, but has now been demolished and the brick threshing bay was added to the east side between 1882 and 1889. The barn is adjacent to a Listed C15 manor house and an associated manorial enclosure, a Scheduled Ancient Monument, giving added group value.

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26594798

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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