Site Event/Activity record ESF20884 - Bridge Farm, Hacheston

The barn on the site is an impressive timber-framed and weatherboarded structure of almost 30 m (100 ft) in length with a steeply pitched roof of corrugated asbestos that was formerly thatched. Although currently a single space, it contains evidence of an unusually complicated and historically interesting evolution. It began life in the second quarter of the 17th century as a three-bay structure with an entrance in the northern end-bay of its eastern elevation, which now forms part of the rear wall, and was evidently built as an extension to an older barn. The clasped-purlin roof structure of this earliest phase survives intact, complete with curved windbraces, although most of its wall studs were renewed during the 19th century. The barn was extended by one bay to the north in the mid-17th century, presumably when the older barn was demolished, and by three bays to the south at the beginning of the 19th century when much land in the vicinity was cultivated for the first time. The farm complex was considerably enlarged during the mid-19th century, when extensive cattle yards were added, and a formerly detached early-19th century granary was linked to the barn's southern gable. This granary retains an unusually complete series of boarded grain bins on its upper storey. Given the barn's early-17th century origin and intact roof, together with the historic interest of its unusual layout and development, it merits listing at grade II in its own right. Project status: Complete Yes, Validated Yes Previous/Future Work: Previous No, Future Not known Associated Identifiers: HER event no. HCH 031 Sitecode HCH 031 NMR No. 1536138 Project Type: Building Recording Methods and Techniques: Photographic Survey, Survey/Recording Of Fabric/Structure Reason for Investigation: Direction from Local Planning Authority - PPG16 Site status: Listed Building Current Land use: Other 2 - In use as a building Monument Type(s)/Period(s): BARN Post Medieval , GRANARY Post Medieval , SHED Post Medieval Artefact Type(s)/Period(s): NONE None PROJECT LOCATION Area 658.00 Square metres Grid Reference: TM30895656 Point PROJECT CREATOR(S) Brief originator: Local Authority Archaeologist and/or Planning Authority/advisory body Design originator: Edward Martin Director/Manager: David Gill Supervisor: Leigh Alston DIGITAL ARCHIVE Recipient: Suffolk County SMR Contents: Survey Media: Images raster / digital photography, Survey PAPER ARCHIVE Recipient: Suffolk County SMR Contents: Survey Media: Map, Photograph, Plan, Report, Survey BIBLIOGRAPHY Publication Type: Grey literature (unpublished document/manuscript) Title: Bridge Farm, Hacheston Author(s)/Editor(s): Alston, L Date: 2009 Issuer/Publisher: Suffolk County Council Place of Issue or Publication: Shire Hall, Bury St Edmunds Description: Standard SCCAS Building Report. A4 soft bound.