Silkstone Farm, 1 Stone Close, Coal Aston, Derbyshire: Historic Building Record of Two Barns

An historic building record was carried out on two barns prior to their conversion to residential use at Silkstone Farm, 1 Stone Close, Coal Aston, Derbyshire. They are located to the east of the seventeenth century Grade II listed farmhouse (List Entry No. 1370020) and comprise a south range (Barn 01) and an east range (Barn 02), both of which are Grade II listed (List Entry No. 1087775). They are of likely eighteenth century date, certainly extant by 1835 and were part of a larger U-plan farmstead that was reduced in size in the last quarter of the twentieth century. The southern barn is the later of the two and was originally a stable with a pigeon loft over, a rare arrangement but not unheard of in Derbyshire but well attested nationally when keeping pigeons became more widespread from the seventeenth century. The eastern barn was most likely a cowhouse with a hay loft above and later used as a stable. Both buildings were converted to house pigs, probably during the twentieth century. The roof of the southern barn has been largely replaced, with the exception of the tiebeam that has a prominent ritual burn mark present, a feature found in other Georgian farm buildings in Derbyshire. The roof of the eastern range comprises re-used timbers, including one which is certainly from a cruck truss. The barn may have been remodelled with the original cruck frame timbers re-used.