Farmstead record SBK 036 - Farmstead: White House

At the time of inspection, only the main barn survived. It is a timber-framed and weatherboarded structure of the 19th C, representing the reconstruction of an earlier 16th or 17th C barn. It extends an impressive 28.2m in length by 6.2m in width and is of considerable historic interest. The design was originally for two buildings: a barn and stable, as shown on the Tithe map of 1840. The 2 buildings were amalgamated by raising the height of the stable to match that of the barn. Other than this it remains largely unaltered with its original framing in-tact. It is a rare survival with evidence of original doors and diamond mullioned windows (S1).

White House, Stradbroke. 19th century farmstead and farmhouse with converted buildings. Regular courtyard multi-yard plan formed by working agricultural buildings. The farmhouse is set away from the yard. Significant loss (over 50%) of the traditional farm buildings. Located within an isolated position (S2-7).

Recorded as part of the Farmsteads in the Suffolk Countryside Project. This is a purely desk-based study and no site visits were undertaken. These records are not intended to be a definitive assessment of these buildings. Dating reflects their presence at a point in time on historic maps and there is potential for earlier origins to buildings and farmsteads. This project highlights a potential need for a more in depth field study of farmstead to gather more specific age data.

A substantial timber-framed barn (28m long x 6.2m wide) that formerly belonged to White House Farm was recorded prior to residential conversion. In its present form the building dates from the mid 19th century, but represents the amalgamation and partial reconstruction of a late-16th or early-17th-century barn and stable shown as separate buildings on the tithe map of 1840. The original three-bay stable was raised in height but its wall framing remains largely complete and is a rare survival, with evidence of original doors and diamond-mullion windows. Extending to 9.6m in length it was divided into two compartments of one and two bays respectively, each entered by doors facing north towards the farmhouse. There is no evidence of original doors or windows in the opposite wall, to which the hay rack and manger were probably attached. The common joists of a removed hay loft 45cm below the roof-plates were supported by a binding joist and neatly shaped corbel blocks which projected from the storey posts of the larger compartment. Included in the Proceedings of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History annual round up of individual finds and discoveries for 2008 (S8).