This project recorded barns which were being converted to domestic use

The oldest surviving buildings at Pool Farm were constructed in the 17^th or 18^th century, and the farmhouse and one of the remaining barns still retain their original timber-framed structure. The  timber-framed barn suggests that the agricultural buildings followed the traditional building practices of the area and were constructed from locally available materials. The tithe map below shows the extent of the farm buildings at Pool farm, and its surrounding land in 1841. The timber-framed barn that still stands today can be made out to the west of the farmhouse.  

A sale particulars document from 1936 gives an idea of the size of the farm during this period, the types of buildings and what they were used for, and the sorts of agricultural practices carried out (see appendix F). The farm appears to have been a standard Herefordshire mixed farm; the buildings listed include ‘five open cattle sheds, three fatting boxes and beast house for ten’ as well as barns and a granary. The ‘Cider House’ shows that like most Herefordshire farms during this period Pool Farm also produced cider. In 1936 the farm is listed as having 163 acres, including pasture, arable and pasture orchard which are described here as ‘first- class corn and root-growing arable, well watered pastures, and thriving orchards’.

The 2^nd edition Ordnance Survey map shows Pool farm in 1904, and includes a substantial number of farm buildings which have now gone. The farmhouse and one timber-framed barn (1) immediately to the west of it still stand today; the stone barn (2) must predate 1904 and does not appear to have been substantially altered; the smaller stone building (3) to the south of building 2 has been extensively rebuilt in the more recent past, making it impossible to tell whether the whole or part of it is represented on the OS map. The land immediately surrounding the farm buildings appears to be orchard. Directories from this period tell us that the tenant of the farm was one Richard Farr (Kelly’s 1900 & 1913; Jakeman and Carver’s 1914) who farmed there until it was taken on by Richard Jones in 1917 (Kelly’s 1917).

The buildings surveyed included a timber-framed barn (1), a stone barn (2), and a smaller stone building (3), and Pool farmhouse. The farm house has been heavily restored: the pitches and barbs of the roof have been raised on both the north and south sides; there are no indications of timber framing on the lower section of the west frame (although the internal view from inside the barn where it joins the house has been obscured by brickwork). The house appears to be L-shaped, but heavy restoration on the eastern side of the building makes it impossible to date the return section running north-west.

There is a timber framed barn (1) attached to the house albeit awkwardly. This consists of three bays and probably dates to the early 17^th century. The barn has lost its southern and eastern frames, but the north frame remains intact, attached to the west side of pool farm. Most of its timbers are double-pegged, as opposed to the single-pegged timbers in the house. The southern and eastern frames were possibly lost when the barn was heightened with thinner, single-pegged timbers. All the bricks in the panels appear to be hand made. The remaining post along the west frame indicates that the southern end was timber framed. The lack of peg holes and mortice on the northern timber frame confirms that the barn did not extend for a northern bay.

There is a stone barn (2) built onto the southern end of the timber framed barn, but it is difficult to tell whether it was built at the same time or was a later addition. The eastern stone wall, which extends along both barns, appears to have been put in to replace the original timber frame. One must assume that the first barn was built without this wall, as the timber frame is still here, thus implying that the timber framed barn is earlier than the stone barn. This is confirmed by the absence of a northern frame in the stone barn.

At the southern end of the stone barn there is a third building (3), also stone built. The roof pitch of this building is lower in height than the other two. The ceilings of barns (1) and (2) have been raised; this is visible on the northern frame and on the upper story along the western frame. A difference in the stonework, though not visible from the inside of the stone barn (2), shows up clearly on the external face of its eastern wall (figure 11). The gable at the top of its internal south wall shows rebuilding on both the west and east sides, showing that this stone barn was raised on both pitches. Whitewash and plasterwork seen in the lower level of the south elevation is absent in the upper level, providing further evidence for rebuilding (figure 12). It was also noted that within the stone infill that replaced the timber frame on the east elevation of this building, the air vents are at a slightly higher level. On the internal face of the western elevation many of the air vents have been blocked.

When the pitches of the roofs were heightened in barns (1) and (2), the simple A-frame trusses with tie beams, and the principal rafters, were all re-used; only the struts were made specifically for the new frames. Several carpenters’ marks on these timbers appear to be quite late, and are probably associated with the later building (3) built at the south end of the complex. All the trusses in the northern-most frame are reused.

Whitewash and plaster present in the lower level of  barn (2)

There were no finds or features observed during excavation, despite the extent of archaeological material recorded in the area.

From the building survey it is possible to conclude that the timber-framed structures date to the 17^th or 18^th century, and are typical of the vernacular architecture of the area. The barns clearly demonstrate some of the methods of arable farming employed during this period of history. The barns were used to store and process corn and to provide straw and chaff for the animals. In his book ‘Historic Farm Buildings’, Jeremy Lake also discusses the use of barns for harvest home celebrations. The barn has an entrance and an exit opposite each other, the entrance being taller in order to accommodate the loaded wagon (figure 15). After the corn was unloaded the centre section of the barn was used as a threshing floor. After threshing the doors were opened so that the through-breeze would help separate the grain from the chaff. The rectangular ventilation slits, seen in the walls of the stone barn, stopped the grain from becoming mouldy or overheating during storage: in the timber-framed barn some of the wattle panels may have originally been left open (Lake 1989).

Although there is plenty of evidence to show that the roofs of the barns have been raised at a later stage, it is not possible to deduce the reasons for these alterations without further documentary research. The many alterations made to the smaller stone building (3) make it difficult to tell what it was originally used for. A sales document from 1936, ‘Particulars of the Pool farm’ provides a list of the agricultural buildings and their uses, a number of which could refer to the stone building (3).

   Reporting              

Unpublished report - Pool Farm, Much Dewchurch, Herefordshire: archaeological monitoring - P J Pikes and Clementine Lovell, 2004. A copy of this report is held in the reference section of Hereford City Library.  Clem Lovell

This report is available at the Archaeological Data Service site

To view or download the report click here