Farmstead record TDE 023 - Farmstead: Abbey Farm

Group of 19th C farm buildings associated with Abbey Farmhouse, including a 2 bay timber-framed granary and cartlodge, a 3 bay timber-framed stable and granary, a 2 bay shelter shed and a clay lump cart lodge or cow house (S1).

Little of the original house remains visible but it probably contained a central hall between a pair of storgae rooms on one side and a parlour on the other. It would have been heated by a single fireplace, or perhaps a bonfire-like open hearth. It's original small parlour was rebuilt at the beginning of the 17th century in order to accommodate a new chimney with more fireplaces. The old hall and service rooms remained unaltered abd the house temporarily lost its external symmetry. Within a decade or two the earlier walsl were raised and a new roof built to match that of the parlour, effectively disguising the structure's complex evolution. Its re-unified façade was crowned by a central dormer window which has since been lost. From the rear, however, the raising of the earlier roof was betrayed by an obvious step where the new wall was wider than the old (reflecting the greater width of the parlour). The chimney was also rebuilt as part of this third phase of construction, and the front door was probably moved from its 16th century position in the right-hand corner of the hall to its present ‘lobby entrance’ adjacent to the new chimney. With the exception of a small modern extension to its right-hand gable, the resulting house, typical of many Yeoman farmhouses across Suffolk, has changed little in the intervening four centuries and retains a number of excellent architectural features (S2).

Abbey Farm, Thrandeston. 19th century farmstead and 16th century farmhouse. Dispersed cluster yard plan formed by working agricultural buildings. The farmhouse is set away from the yard. Partial loss (less than 50%) of the traditional farm buildings. Located within a hamlet (S3-8).

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.