Threshing Barn, Attached Horse Gin and Two Shelter Sheds, Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire

Description

WOTTON UNDER EDGE

238/0/10008 COOMBEHALL FARM
21-SEP-10 Threshing Barn, Attached Horse Gin and
Two Shelter Sheds

II
Threshing barn with attached horse engine and two shelter sheds. Late C17/early C18 with C19 and C20 additions and alterations. Oolitic limestone. Part of a farm complex forming the north side of an informal courtyard overlooking a steep-sided valley on the western edge of the Cotswolds.

The THRESHING BARN lies at the north eastern corner of the complex. It is oriented north to south with its northern gable end built against the revetment wall to the north. The late C17/early C18 barn is built of neatly coursed limestone rubble and is partly ruinous at the northern end. Originally of five bays with a central threshing floor, only the two southernmost bays, part of the central bay, and the west porch survive well. Of the remaining structure the majority of building material, including roof trusses, survive where they have fallen within the interior of the barn. Three of the original roof trusses survive in situ linked by double butt purlins and a ridgepiece. There is evidence that the purlins were originally wind-braced. The truss to the south of the central threshing floor is a raised cruck which rises from embedded timber pads within the wall. It has an arch-braced collar and is pegged. It is clear from the remains of the truss to the north of the threshing floor that it was of the same construction. Immediately against the gable end wall is a truss consisting of principal rafters and collar with tie beam. The intermediary truss is A-framed with an arch-braced collar. A tie beam and struts appear to be later additions. The barn is abutted on its western side by the horse engine house to the south and the eastern shelter shed to the north which utilises the barn for its eastern wall.

The HORSE ENGINE HOUSE is of limestone rubble and was originally open-sided with stone piers, since infilled with concrete blockwork and glazing. It has a conical roof of ring purlins on rafters with a stone tile covering. Interior not inspected.

The C18 EASTERN SHELTER SHED is of coursed limestone rubble with quoins under concrete pantiles to the southern front elevation and red ceramic pantiles to the rear elevation. The roof profile is an asymmetrical gable created by the lower wall plate to the south. The original open front (probably supported on timber piers) has been infilled with rendered concrete block and incorporates a modern door and windows. Internally the original open space has been partially partitioned by concrete block stall walls. The roof trusses are A-framed with shorter northern arms, tied with curving tie beams fixed with hand-made wrought iron pins. The trusses support a ridgepiece and a single tier of through purlins to the north with double purlins to the south.

The WESTERN SHELTER SHED is also of C18 date. It is single storied, of coursed limestone rubble with stone tiles to the front, south, and pantiles to the rear slope. The south-facing front is of six bays with four central open bays with stone piers and a timber arcade plate and closed bays to either end. The formerly open bays have since been infilled. This plan is reflected internally with a central open area with enclosed rooms to either end. The asymmetrical roof is similar to that of the eastern shelter shed with shorter rafters to the north supporting a single tier of through purlins and the longer southern rafters supporting paired purlins. The principal rafters are tenoned into tie-beams and fixed with wrought-iron staples.

HISTORY
Coombehall Farm lies at the edge of the Cotswolds in the hamlet of Coombe to the north east of Wotton-under-Edge and on steeply sloping ground overlooking Tyley Bottom. Research by the Wotton-under-Edge Historical Society, supported by an extract from a 1974 Dissertation by Miss A Hawkins which traces the history of ownership of the Combe estate, has demonstrated that there has been occupation at Coombe from 1154 when the estate was given to Nigel de Kingscote by Queen Matilda in recognition of his services to her during the wars. In 1275 the Bishop of Worcester granted a licence to Elias de Cumb to build an oratory within the precincts of his house, suggesting that the holding was one of some importance with links to the Fitzharding and Berkeley families. Although it is clear that an estate existed at Coombe and that in time this came to include the present group of buildings known as Coombehall Farm, what is less certain is whether the site was the focus for the estate from the earliest periods. Certainly there is nothing in the present fabric which suggests occupation of the farmstead before the C18. Throughout the C18 and C19, Coombehall Farm changed hands fairly frequently and was largely agricultural in character with many of the most recent owners listed as `farmers'. It has been owned by the present family since 1962. An attempt to renovate the farmhouse in the 1970s was never completed and the house has remained empty since then.

SOURCES
RK Morriss, `Coombehall Farm, Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire: An Architectural and Archaeological Analysis'. Mercian Heritage Series No 455, Unpublished Report (July 2009)

E Stratford, `An Archaeological Evaluation at Coombehall Farm, Coombe, Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire'. Gloucestershire County Council Report, (2009)

REASON FOR DESIGNATION
The threshing barn, horse engine house, and two shelter sheds are listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:

* Architecture: good examples of distinctive vernacular C18 farmbuildings in this part of the Cotswolds
* Intactness: despite some losses and alteration, all retain a significant proportion of their historic fabric
* Rarity: a relatively rare survival of a group of agricultural buildings dating to the earliest days of the agricultural revolution
* Group Value: a strong group with clear functional associations

Reasons for Listing

The threshing barn, horse engine house, and two shelter sheds merit designation at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Architecture: good examples of distinctive vernacular C18 farmbuildings in this part of the Cotswolds
* Intactness: despite some losses and alteration, all retain a significant proportion of their historic fabric
* Rarity: a relatively rare survival of a group of agricultural buildings dating to the earliest days of the agricultural revolution
* Group Value: a strong group with clear functional associations

External Links

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