Farmstead record THD 031 - Farmstead: Town Farm

Town Farm lies on the northern edge of Thorndon village and probably adjoined a medieval green known as Stannellgreen. The farmhouse is a grade II-listed timber-framed structure of the mid-16th century which formerly formed part of the 'Town Estate' - a dispersed holding of 94 acres and a workhouse held in trust for the benefit of the parish poor. The farmhouse was occupied by two families in 1840 and the adjacent barn let separately with 26.5 acres of land to a local farmer. The barn is a timber-framed building of the early-17th century which was initially thatched and rendered externally but is now pantiled and partly clad in 19th century weatherboarding. Its structure survives largely intact, complete with its clasped-purlin roof (albeit lacking its original wind-braces), and contains evidence of a contemporary stable and hay loft in its southern bay. The loft was accessible to the open barn in the manner of a crog loft, and required the inclusion in the structure of a narrow bay just 1.4 metres (4.5 feet) in length that is unique in my experience. As a substantially complete 17th century building the barn merits listing at grade II in its own right, and is of particular historic interest given the highly unusual manner in which it incorporated its stable. A pair of late-19th century brick shelter sheds flank a cattle yard to the east, but have been altered beyond recognition (S1).

Town Farm, Thorndon. 17th century farmstead and 16th century farmhouse. Regular courtyard L-shaped plan formed by working agricultural buildings, with additional detached elements. The farmhouse is set away from the yard. The farmstead is extant. Located within a village (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.