Site Event/Activity record ESF21145 - Barn at Willow House, Fressingfield, Heritage Asset Assessment

A historic asset assessment was carried out for a barn in the curtilage of Willow house, prior to its conversion. Willow House lies on the north-eastern edge of Fressingfield village. The house is a grade II-listed mid-17th century structure of the quality normally expected in a 'Yeoman' farmhouse with a large acreage, yet at the time of the 1838 tithe survey it was a tenanted smallholding. The barn is a substantial timber-framed and weatherboarded example of five bays with an additional bay projecting at right-angles. It appears on the tithe map and dates from the late-18th/early-19th century with a frame of some quality, including neatly jowled storey posts and primary braces that are fully tenoned and pegged at both ends. The two bays to the west of the central entrance were divided from the rest and provided with a loft, as was the additional southern bay. The remaining three open bays lacked arch-braces and knee-braces to their tie-beams in a highly unusual manner. This absence of bracing, coupled with the large scale of the lofted areas, probably reflects the building's use as a hay barn with an integral stable and cow-house rather a threshing barn. As such, it is an unusual survival of some historic interest, but unfortunately has been much altered and partly rebuilt. The roof was originally thatched, but the rafters were entirely replaced in softwood during the 20th century and the eastern section of the building was re-roofed as a lean-to. Large sections of the external walls have also been replaced recently, ensuring the building no longer meets the strict criteria for listing in its own right. Project status: Complete Yes, Validated Yes Previous/Future Work: Previous No, Future Not known Associated Identifiers: HER event no. FSF 068 Sitecode FSF 068 Project Type: Building Recording Methods and Techniques: Measured Survey, Photographic Survey, Survey/Recording Of Fabric/Structure Reason for Investigation: Direction from Local Planning Authority - PPS Site status: None Current Land use: Other 2 - In use as a building Monument Type(s)/Period(s): HAY BARN Post Medieval , STABLE Post Medieval , COW HOUSE Post Medieval Artefact Type(s)/Period(s): NONE None PROJECT LOCATION Area 85.25 Square metres Grid Reference: TM261776 Point PROJECT CREATOR(S) Brief originator: Local Authority Archaeologist and/or Planning Authority/advisory body Design originator: Edward Martin Director/Manager: David Gill Supervisor: Leigh Alston DIGITAL ARCHIVE Recipient: Suffolk County SMR ID: FSF 068 Contents: other Media: Images raster / digital photography, Text PAPER ARCHIVE Recipient: Suffolk County SMR ID: FSF 068 Contents: other Media: Report, Unpublished Text BIBLIOGRAPHY Publication Type: Grey literature (unpublished document/manuscript) Title: Barn at Willow House, Fressingfield, Suffolk, FSF 068, Heritage Asset Assessment Author(s)/Editor(s): Alston, L. Other Bibliographic Details: SCCAS Report Date: 2011 Issuer/Publisher: SCCAS Place of Issue or Publication: Bury St Edmunds Description: A4, comb bound, white cover with colour photograph, one appendix (also available as pdf)