Farmstead record FNG 061 - Farmstead: Dairy Farm

The site consists of a grade II-listed former farmhouse of the 17th century or earlier on the eastern side of the road with a separately grade II-listed weatherboarded barn on its western side. A long mid-19th century red-brick shelter-shed recently converted into domestic dwellings lies to the south but a substantial threshing barn shown on early maps was demolished in the mid-20th century. At first glance the building is a 17th century five-bay threshing barn of typical form that was extended by three bays on the east to provide a roadside granary in the late-18th or early-19th century. Its distinctive outline with a small additional lean-to shed on the north is identical to that shown on the 1841 tithe map. On closer inspection it proves to have evolved in a less usual manner. A number of anomalies indicate that the 17th century barn’s entire frame was moved from elsewhere and reassembled at the same time as the apparent extension to form a large and impressive stable with a hay loft or granary throughout its entire length. It was initially divided into at least three compartments entered by three or four doors in each elevation including what appears to have been a second external loft stair on the west matching that which survives to the east (with a good solid-treader stair). All but the two eastern bays of the loft were removed in the mid-20th century when the building is likely to have been converted for cattle, but the second original internal partition survived until an extensive restoration in 2003. This restoration saw much historic fabric destroyed including the clay-lump walls of the lean-to and probably the original plaster ceiling in the extant loft. The original western wall of this loft preserves rare and historically significant early graffiti in red ochre which includes the naive depiction of a horse together with a good series of incised evil-averting ‘daisy wheels’ that were intended to protect the contents of the missing central loft (S1).

Dairy Farm, Great Finborough. 17th century farmstead and farmhouse with converted buildings. Regular courtyard full 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 an isolated position (S2-6).

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.