Farmstead record SLY 201 - Farmstead: Charity Farm (NJ) HAA

Charity Farm, Shotley. 19th century farmstead and 18th century farmhouse. Loose courtyard two-sided 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 (S1-6).

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.

Group of mid 19th century barns and outbuildings associated with the Grade II listed farmhouse. The house probably dates to the early C16 and would have been associated with a small group of farm buildings. By 1718 the site of Charity Farm was purchased by a charity that was known as ‘The school of grey-coat boys and blue-coat girls’. It was one of Ipswich’s most important and well known charitable institutions. The surviving farm building complex was constructed in a single phase between 1858/9 and 1860. The complex was small and compact and consisted of a small 3 bay barn, stable, closed and open shelters as well as a number of yards enclosed with red brick yard walls. The surviving roof structures over the barn and animal shelter are of particular historical interest, as a stronger queen post roof was constructed and covered with a type of decorative Spade tile not commonly found on small farms of this type. The barn, the open shelter shed and the yard walls are all contemporary and were constructed out of red brick. The walls were constructed in Flemish bond which has stretchers and headers alternating within each course. The bricks appear to be the standard size of 9x4.5 x 3.5 inches widely adopted from the 1840s onwards. The well constructed barn has a central threshing floor with two equally sized bays on either side of the threshing floor. The porch which is attached to the south wall of the barn is contemporary with the barn and extends the threshing floor to the south. The position of the porch and the yard associated with it suggests that the front of the barn faced towards the north