Site Event/Activity record ESF21286 - Barn at Pond Farm, New Rd, Thrandeston, Heritage Asset Assessment

The farmhouse is an unlisted 18th and 19th century structure, forming the northern side of a courtyard with a 16th century timber-framed barn of five bays to the west. At the time of the 1846 tithe survey the farm was a tenanted holding of 32.75 acres. The barn is typical of the latter 16th century (1580-1610 is likely), with edge-halved and bridled scarf joints in the roof-plates, internally trenched and cranked wall braces, jowled storey posts and arch-braced tie-beams. Its walls survive largely intact, together with a visually impressive series of arch-braced tie-beams, but the roof is mid-20th century. The interior originally had an internal partition which separated the northern bay from the rest. The four southern bays formed a threshing barn with an east-facing entrance, but the northern bay was a tall gateway. The resulting thoroughfare allowed vehicles to pass between the barn and a missing structure to the north. Pegged studs were inserted into both entrances during the 17th century and it's likely that the original arrangement was short lived. Early maps demonstrate that many modest Tudor farmsteads possessed fully or partly enclosed courtyards entered by gateways, but physical evidence is exceptionally rare. It sheds important light on the sophisticated nature of farm courtyards in England during the late medieval and Tudor periods and in my view merits listing at grade II. The adjoining 19th century clay-lump sheds have been much altered, but are of some historic interest insofar as they illustrate a typical Victorian development. The heritage asset assessment was carried out prior to the conversion of the barn to holiday lets. Project status: Complete Yes, Validated Yes Previous/Future Work: Previous No, Future Not known Associated Identifiers: HER event no. TDE 022 Sitecode TDE 022 NMR No. 1548709 Project Type: Building Recording Methods and Techniques: Measured Survey, Photographic Survey, Survey/Recording Of Fabric/Structure Reason for Investigation: To inform and accompany a planning application Current Land use: Other 3 - Built over Monument Type(s)/Period(s): BARN Post Medieval Artefact Type(s)/Period(s): NONE None PROJECT LOCATION Area 725.00 Square metres Grid Reference: TM119772 Point PROJECT CREATOR(S) Brief originator: Local Authority Archaeologist and/or Planning Authority/advisory body Design originator: Edward Martin Director/Manager: David Gill Supervisor: Leigh Alston DIGITAL ARCHIVE Recipient: Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service Contents: other Media: Images raster / digital photography, Text PAPER ARCHIVE Recipient: Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service Contents: other Media: Correspondence, Report BIBLIOGRAPHY Publication Type: Grey literature (unpublished document/manuscript) Title: Barn at Pond Farm, Thrandeston, Suffolk, TDE 022, Heritage Asset Assessment Author(s)/Editor(s): Alston, L. Other Bibliographic Details: SCCAS Report Date: 2011 Issuer/Publisher: SCCAS Place of Issue or Publication: Bury St Edmunds Description: A4, comb bound, white cover with colour photograph (also available as PDF)