Farmstead record GSG 036 - Street Farm, Gislingham

The barn to the west of the farm is listed at grade II and lies at right-angles to the road between two modern houses known as 'Hector's House' and 'Hensyl House'. It is a timber-framed and weatherboarded structure of five bays with a central porch of two bays to the west and double-hung principal doors to the east. Originally thatched it is now covered with corrugated asbestos. Although mistakenly dated in the Schedule to circa 1700 it is typical of many 'Napoleonic' barns of the early-19th century, rebuilt to exploit the high price of grain caused by restrictions on imports. Despite its relatively late origin, the building remains worthy of listing due to its unusually well preserved timber frame, with a complete series of ten arch-braces to its tie-beams (including the open truss of the porch) and an intact roof of staggered butt-purlins. The external weatherboarding is also of considerable historic significance, retaining large areas of original red ochre pigment within a series of later sheds. Many Suffolk barns were painted red in this manner before the advent of tar as a cheap by-product of town gas production during the second half of the 19th century. The barn also retains an original threshing floor of gault brick and evidence of a stable and hay loft at its southern end.

Street Farm, Gislingham. 19th century farmstead and 16th century farmhouse with converted buildings. Loose courtyard two-sided plan formed by working agricultural buildings, with additional detached elements. The farmhouse is set away from the yard. Partial loss (loss than 50%) of the traditional farm buildings. Located within a village (S2-7).

Recorded as part of the Farmsteads in the Suffolk Countryside Project. This is a purely desk-based study and no site visits were undertaken. These records are not intended to be a definitive assessment of these buildings. Dating reflects their presence at a point in time on historic maps and there is potential for earlier origins to buildings and farmsteads. This project highlights a potential need for a more in depth field study of farmstead to gather more specific age data.