Threshing Barn Range, Holland Farm, Papa Westray, North Isles, Orkney Islands

Description

17th century-late 19th century. Farm built to W of present Holland House. Flagstone rubble, harling in places.

MICKLEGARTH

Possibly 17th century fabric, remodelled to form grieve's house, early 19th century, renovated later 20th century. 2-storey, 3-bay house (formerly harled and crowstepped Ivy Cottage). Rendered.

S ELEVATION: central door; flanking windows; 3 1st floor windows centred above.

W ELEVATION: ground floor window to right. Rear extension to left; window.

N ELEVATION: central 1st floor window. Rear single storey, flat-roofed later 20th century extension.

E ELEVATION: ground floor window to left; 1st floor window centred above.

Replacement timber and glazed door. Replacement windows. Pitched, stone slate roof; 3 rooflights to front; 2 to rear. Coped gable end stacks; circular clay cans.

INTERIOR: modernised interior; renovated 1970's. Retractable timber door bolt with metal ring sits within wall thickness to inside right of front door.

WELL

Well situated to S of Micklegarth. Millstone surmounts circular mound of stones.

BOTHY AND DAIRY

2-storey; 3-bay former bothy and dairy renovated 1928 to replace old bothy (now Museum). Prior to alteration, this building was a stable for young horses with hay loft. Harled flagstone. E ELEVATION: central door. Advanced lean-to to right. Advanced lean-to to left; central door.

S ELEVATION: central ground floor window; 1st floor window to right. (1st Edition OS Map depicts forestair to right). Lean-to dairy set back to left; door to left; small window above to right. W ELEVATION: lean-to dairy extends along most of elevation. N ELEVATION: small central ground floor window. 2 large windows to lean-to to right (dairy); small window above to left.

Timber boarded doors. Varied glazing; roof lights. Pitched stone slate roof. Coped gable end stack to N. Corrugated asbestos roof to left lean-to to E elevation; overseamed flagstone roof to right lean-to. Stone slate roof to W lean-to.

INTERIOR: flagstone floor to ground floor, tongue and groove lined at 1st floor.

SMITHY & JOINERS' WORKSHOP

Earlier 19th century. Row of 2 single storey buildings. Smithy to N; workshop to S. Flagstone. Alternate canted corner stones at quoins. E ELEVATION: large door opening; window to right to workshop. Large door opening; window to right to smithy. S ELEVATION: window to right. W ELEVATION: single window to left in workshop and in smithy. N ELEVATION: roofless lean-to to plain gable wall; door in left return.

Timber boarded sliding doors. Double hinged inner door to smithy. Fixed, replacement windows. Flagstone floors. Pitched stone slate roof; crude crowstepped gable to S. Gable end stacks; central ridge stack.

INTERIOR: former joiners' workshop now used as garage. Intact blacksmith's workshop; forge; wall-mounted bellows; anvil; workbench with tools and equipment.

STALLION HOUSE

Possible 17th century fabric. Single story stallion (staigy) house. Flagstone rubble and boulders. W ELEVATION: central door; muck hole to right; window above to left. N ELEVATION: advanced central chimney breast. E ELEVATION: blocked ground floor window to right; blocked opening above.

S ELEVATION: blocked door to right; window to left.

Pitched flagstone roof with tapered overseamers; aisins.

INTERIOR: flagstone floor; replacment roof timbers. Gutted interior. Cobblestones to entrance outside W elevation.

THRESHING BARN RANGE

Early 19th century. 2-storey linear range to N of steading; threshing barn to W; central hay barn; stable to E; circular horse mill at rear to W. Exposed flagstone rubble; harling in places. S ELEVATION: 2 ground floor windows; 2 loft openings to left. Large segmental arched opening to central barn; ground floor window to right flank; 2 to left flank; sliding door to far left. 5 1st floor windows centred above ground floor openings. 2 sliding doors to stable; flanking window to each. 4 loft openings. E ELEVATION: 1st floor door; abutting pier at ground floor; timber steps to N. N ELEVATION: 4 timber louvred loft openings to stable to left. Ground floor door to left of barn; small window to right; 4 1st floor windows. Single ground floor window to left and right of horse mill; ventilation slit to left of far right window. 6 openings to horse mill (5 blocked; opening to E partially blocked, 2000); timber lintels. Inserted replacement timber doors to W opening; concrete lintel. W ELEVATION: hole to right (inserted mid 20th century to drive hammer mill from tractor); ground floor window above. Blocked ground floor door and 1st floor window to left.

Ventilation louvres to lower half of some ground floor windows. Timber doors to loft openings. Sheaf loft to W; 2 grain lofts to E. Replacement timber boarded doors. Pitched roof; crowstepped gables; concrete skews. Corrugated asbestos to threshing barn; stone slates elsewhere including conical horse mill roof.

INTERIOR: timber roof structure and wallhead beam of horse mill remain. E end of ground floor of barn now used as a byre.

KILN AND WEST BARN

Late 18th/early 19th century, possibly earlier. Barn to W of farm yard; tall circular kiln attached to N. Single storey and loft. Exposed flagstone rubble; some harling remains to kiln. Alternate canted corner stones to barn quoins. W ELEVATION: blocked central door; blocked door to left; door to right, timber boarded door. Rubble stone walls of former sheep sheds extend from elevation. Passage leading to kiln set back to left; kiln to far left. N ELEVATION: kiln. E ELEVATION: kiln to far right. Linking passage to left. Barn mostly obscured by adjacent barn. Large inserted sliding doors to left. S ELEVATION: small, central ground window; loft door above.

Pitched roof; corrugated asbestos sheet; crowstepped gables. Flagstone roof to passage between barn and kiln. Some flags remain on kiln roof.

INTERIOR: open to rafters; single storage space for machinery (2000). Doorway in N gable wall; steps in passage lead up to kiln interior. Kiln ledge with insert for killace remains.

MILLER'S HOUSE

Roofless remains of former miller's house to W of horse mill. Flagstone. Formerly flagstone roof.

BOTHY

Earlier 19th century. Single storey; 3-bay cottage. Flagstone, some harling remains. E ELEVATION: central door; flanking windows. S ELEVATION: plain gable wall. W ELEVATION: plain elevation. N ELEVATION: not seen, 2000.

Pitched overseamed flagstone roof. Corniced S gable end stack; circular clay can. Roof lights to rear.

INTERIOR: maintained as a museum; display of domestic and agricultural items.

BYRE

1? storey building built into bank. Flagstone rubble. E ELEVATION: large inserted door into loft; central window above. Stepped wall head. S ELEVATION: partially seen, 2000. Ventilation slits. W ELEVATION: large inserted door; central window above. Stepped wall head. N ELEVATION: ventilation slit to right.

Large timber sliding doors. Pitched, stone slate roof; roof lights.

INTERIOR: loft section to E; open space within.

COW BYRE

1899. Long, single storey range. Flagstone walls; alternate canted corner stones to quoins. W (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: 3 regularly spaced doors with window to left flank. Extra window to far right. N ELEVATION: plain gable. E ELEVATION: plain elevation. Adjacent pitched barn to rear; plain E elevation. Large opening to S; segmental arch; 2 large sliding doors. S ELEVATION: 2 large sliding doors. Slate hung gable half.

Timber boarded doors. 6 fixed lights to windows; timber lower half ventilation slats. Roof lights to W. Pitched, Welsh slate roof. Flagstones remain on ground ouside entrance elevation.

INTERIOR: flagstone floor; central muck channel. Timber stall partitions and hayracks in situ.

STACK YARD

Circular stone platforms (steethes) to raise cornstacks off wet ground, in field S of kiln and barn.

Statement of Interest

B-Group with Holland House, Walled Garden, Pair of Storehouses/Bothies to NE of Holland House, Holland Dovecot, Windmill Stump and Store. The Holland estate was bought by Thomas Traill, the laird of Papa Westray in 1637 and remained in the possession of the Traill family (apart from a gap between 1886 and 1928) until 1952. The 1636 home of Thomas Traill, originally stood to the north of the present Holland House, on the site of the war memorial. Holland Farm is the home farm to this original house. As a result of the increased income from the kelp boom, George Traill built a new house beside the farm, from 1810-14. After the collapse of the kelp boom in the 1830's, George Traill turned his attention to his farm and initiated some improvements including rebuilding much of the farm and also introducing (by 1823) one of the first horse-powered threshing mills in Orkney. Later additions include the more recent linear byres (excluded from the Statutory List) which replace an earlier building present on the 1882 map. The retention of many traditional structures such as the kiln barn, horse mill, smithy, bothies and stackyard makes Holland Farm an excellent example of an agricultural complex. Before the addition of the threshing machine and horse mill, hand threshing of the corn took place in the west barn. The grain was then dried in the kiln. The kiln was a characteristic feature of the traditional Orcadian farm and thus, although redundant in use, it remains here as an important survival from early Orkney farming practices. The doocot and windmill stump are also notable features of Holland Farm (see separate Lists). The Stallion House is thought to possibly be the oldest building on the farm; tradition calls it the original kitchen of Manavel, the earlier farm on the site (Rendall).

External Links

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