Farmstead record SLT 008 - Farmstead: White House Farm

White House Farm lies in open countryside in the NE corner of Southolt parish. The property includes two grade II-listed timber-framed buildings of circa 1600: the former farmhouse and a four-bay barn. The farmhouse was unusual and probably originated as a detached bake-house. The barn is also unusual in that it contained a small threshing area of just two bays and a two bay stable with a hay loft. The scale of the threshing barn is consistent with the 17.5 acres associated with the holding in 1839. Most of the building's oak frame is intact, including an impressive clasped-purlin roof containing a full complement of reverse-cranked wind-braces, and substantial areas of original wattle-and-daub survive. The barn was entered from a yard to the east, and preserves rare evidence of a small rear doorway. A good threshing floor of brick survives from the 19th century, and a pair of single-storied sheds was added to the eastern facade at a similar period. The internal partition and loft have been removed, but the walls contain evidence of at least four and possibly six diamond-mullion windows. The reason for the large size of the floored area relative to the threshing barn is unclear: In the absence of original fixtures and fittings it may have served as a neat-house for cattle, or perhaps met the needs of a horse dealer or carter instead of a arable farmer (S1).

White House Farm, Southolt. 16th century farmstead and 17th century farmhouse. Regular courtyard U-shaped plan formed by working agricultural buildings. The farmhouse is set away from the yard. Partial loss (less than 50%) of the traditional farm buildings. Located within a loose farmstead cluster (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.