Farmstead record WBY 026 - Farmstead: Ashtree Farm

Ashtree Farm approximately 1 km north-east of St Mary's church in Wilby. A single barn survives, with no obvious trace of the farm which stood here at the time of the 1957 Ordnance Survey. Hodskinson's County 1783 map and the configuration and 19th century names of the nearby fields as shown on the 1838 parish tithe survey all suggest the farm originally adjoined the western edge of a large medieval common known as Russel's Green, reflecting the characteristic pattern of early settlement in the region. The barn is a substantial timber-framed and weatherboarded structure in five bays which dates from the second half of the 18th century and is shown on the 1838 tithe map. It then served a tenanted arable holding and originally contained a two-bay stable to the north with a three-bay threshing barn to the south. The combination of stables and barns in this manner is typical of East Anglia but rarely found elsewhere, and the building is accordingly of considerable local historic significance. Although the frame is of some quality, with arch-braced tie-beams, neatly shaped jowls and pegged primary wall braces and also contains a number of 16th C ceiling joists, there is evidence of major reconstruction in the 19th century and the roof was entirely rebuilt along with much of the rear wall in the 20th century. The hay loft no longer survives and the interior currently forms a single open space. In consequence, despite its historic interest and relatively early origin, the building does not meet the strict English Heritage criteria for listing (S1).

Ashtree Farm, Wilby. 18th century farmstead and 19th century farmhouse. Regular courtyard full plan formed by working agricultural buildings. The farmhouse is set away from the yard. Significant loss (over 50%) of the traditional farm buildings. Located within an isolated position (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.