Henry Simpson's Barn, Appletreewick, North Yorkshire

Summary

Architecturally embellished, multifunctional barn at Parcevall Hall built in 1737 for Henry Simpson as agent to the 3rd Earl of Burlington.

Description

MATERIALS: dressed, coursed limestone to front; coursed rubble to rear and sides. Gritstone quoins to all corners and ashlar dressings to all doorways. Stone slate roof mainly surviving to the front, but stripped to the rear.

PLAN: single-phase building of four bays with a side aisle on the north-east side. The main part of the building is a threshing barn served by opposed cart entrances, that to the north-east being recessed by being flanked by stores and loose boxes occupying the aisle. The main barn was formally subdivided internally with a shippon (cow house) at the south-east end served by two entrances in the gable wall; above this was a hay loft. A further hayloft was located at the north-west end served by a pitching hole in the upper part of the gable end.

EXTERIOR
Front (south-west): the cart entrance is offset to the right of centre. It has a plain chamfer to the jambs and the voussoirs forming the segmental arch. Above is the inscribed plaque 'Mr H S 1737'. The elevation also includes simple ventilation holes, mostly within a single course running above the entrance.

South-east gable: two doorways set at the corners of the main range, both with chamfered jambs and monolithic lintels with incised ogee hoods. Between them there is a round headed ventilation slit which is also chamfered ashlar. Finely carved kneelers to both front and back, the moulding being cyma recta, cyma reversa.

Rear: the aisle appears as a two-bay outshut to the right, and one bay to the left. In between is the single-bay roofed porch to the recessed cart entrance to the barn. There are doorways at either end of the elevation and within both returns forming the entrance. All are similar to those on the south-east gable. At the far right of the elevation there is a ventilation slit also matching that in the southern gable.

North-west gable: cyma recta, cyma reversa kneelers. Square pitching window in the upper gable with a chamfered ashlar surround.

ROOF STRUCTURE: this is unconventional for the area and date, but is traditionally pegged and jointed, displaying carpenters' assembly marks. The main range has three roof trusses which have wind-braced king posts rising from high collars. These trusses support the ridge plate and three sets of trenched and staggered purlins. Raking struts rise from the tie beams to support the principal rafters just below the middle purlins. Aisle plates abut the feet of the tie beams and are supported, like the purlins for the aisles, by masonry walls. Two of the timbers used within the aisle roof are re-used cruck blades.

History

The Parcevall Hall Estate was bought by Richard Boyle, the 3rd Earl of Burlington in 1735. On the 24 March 1736 the local agent, William Taylor wrote to Henry Simpson (the agent for all of Burlington's estates in Britain):

“They have set out a proper piece of ground for your New Barn at Percival and propose to have it 16 yards long, 7 wide and 5 high to the spandrel, if you think proper”.

On the 3rd November 1738 Taylor wrote again, enclosing a full account for the barn, a copy of which survives in the archive at Chatsworth House, Derbyshire. Items included timber, 200 horse loads of lime, as well as the names and details of the work of the masons and carpenters. The total sum was £126. 19s. 5d, on which Taylor commented:

“you’ll doubtless think a large sum…..However tis effectually done and is a very useful handsome and perhaps one of the best finished Barns in Craven”.

The response from Mr Simpson states:

“…thinks it a very large sum and what he did not expect…”.

The barn includes a plaque set above the south west cart entrance that is inscribed "Mr H S 1737". It is not known if the architectural design of the barn came to the notice of Lord Burlington.

The barn is set on the hillside above and overlooking Parcevall Hall (Grade II* listed, NHLE 1157423). Early Ordnance Survey maps clearly show that the two buildings were linked by a trackway before the hall was greatly enlarged and its gardens landscaped by Sir William Milner after 1927 (Grade II Registered Park and Garden NHLE 1001589).

Reasons for Listing

Henry Simpson's barn at Parcevall Hall is designated at Grade II* for the following principal reasons:
* Architecture: the high level of architectural embellishment and craftsmanship exhibited by the barn is highly unusual, especially as this quality is extended to all sides of the building, not just that overlooking the hall;
* Design: for its date, from a farming perspective, the barn is technically advanced in terms of design and concept;
* Documentation: firmly dated farm buildings are rare. Henry Simpson's barn is not only firmly dated to 1737, but details of its commissioning and construction are well documented;
* Association: with Lord Burlington (architect and architectural patron) provides additional interest.

External Links

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