Site Event/Activity record ESF21295 - Sancroft Barn, Laxfield: Heritage Asset Assessment

Sancroft Barn lies on the western side of Stirrup Street. It belonged in the 19th century to a tenanted holding of 45.5 acres based at Sancroft Manor Farm - a grade II-listed late-16th century house on the opposite side of the road. During the 1838 Laxfield tithe survey the timber-framed and weatherboarded barn formed the western range of an enclosed yard. A 20th century lean-to extends the entire length of the rear elevation. It represents a four-bay threshing barn with an unusually well preserved threshing floor of gault brick and in its present form dates from the late-18th to early-19th century. The two northern bays, however, date from the late-16th or early-17th century and were probably designed as a stable with a hay loft. The wall framing is in good condition with internally trenched braces, but its loft and part of its southern bay were removed when the building was converted into a barn. This conversion involved the addition of a new southern bay consisting entirely of re-used timber which preserves a section of its original external wall of whitewashed clay daub. At the time of inspection the barn contained two historic grain sifting machines and the remains of a belt drive, illustrating the introduction of mechanised threshing during the second half of the 19th century. One of the sifters retains its 19th century paintwork and the name of a Framlingham retailer. Despite its considerable historic interest, however, the barn is unlikely to meet the strict English Heritage criteria for listing. Project status: Complete Yes, Validated Yes Previous/Future Work: Previous No, Future Not known Associated Identifiers: HER event no. LXD 065 Sitecode LXD 065 Project Type: Building Recording Methods and Techniques: Measured Survey, Photographic Survey, Survey/Recording Of Fabric/Structure Reason for Investigation: Direction from Local Planning Authority - PPS 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 68.50 Square metres Grid Reference: TM273723 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 ID: LXD 065 Contents: other Media: Images raster / digital photography, Text PAPER ARCHIVE Recipient: Suffolk County Council Archaeological Service ID: LXD 065 Contents: other Media: Correspondence, Report BIBLIOGRAPHY Publication Type: Grey literature (unpublished document/manuscript) Title: Sancroft Barn, Laxfield, Suffolk, LXD 065, 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, two appendices (also available as a pdf)