Description
From NT VBS Yorkshire 1008 Building 3:
The principal farm building at Elm House, a long sandstone and pantiled range aligned N-S and facing E, situated N of the Low Elm farmhouse (NTSMR 31318) in a visually prominent position. A stone causeway runs the length of the E side and incorporates a midden, a dry area, partly taken up by concrete underpinning, extending along much of the W wall which is set slightly into the hillside.
At present the building is divided into four cells (from N to S)
1) a large byre created by the amalgamation of two smaller cells (a byre and a small barn)
2) a modernised byre - formerly byre or stable - with loft over
3) a stable, most of its fittings intact, now serving as a byre with loft over, and
4) a similar stable, its fittings removed, now serving as a loose- box with loft over
Until some time in late 18th or early 19th century, Elm Houses consisted of two distinct properties. The present house (NTSMR 31318) to the S was known as Low Elm House, while this building formed part of the "Helme House" or High Elm House property. Both names have persisted up to the present day on maps, even though the two properties have already been amalgamated by the time of the Feversham Estate survey (1828) by which time also only one "homestead" is recorded. It is possible that the N end of this building was originally the farmhouse at High Elm House - the elaborate kneelers at the N gable point to a building of relatively high status - but this portion of the building has been altered beyond recognition.
The oldest portion of the building consists of the two (formerly three) cells at the N end. The lintel over the door to the modernised byre has a smooth surface bearing the inscription "Mr Thos Chapman//1780". The RCHME accept this as the date of the building. However, according to a deed of 1780 Thomas Chapman acquired Elm House in this year, so the inscription may equally commemorate his acquistion of perhaps an alteration of the building. The stables do not appear to have been added until after 1854: both the Feversham Estate Survey (1828) and OS 1854 6" map show a building corresponding only to the "1780" portion. The stables were added sucessively, as indicated by two straight joints along the W wall and by the re-siting of the external stair at the S gable. At some stage there seems to have been a further northwards extension of the building, to judge by footing course N of the present gable. More recently, a smaller N addition, stepped back from the E and W walls, appears on the current (1953) OS 1:2500 sheet and may be associated with the vertical scar visible in the N gable. A small lean-to, re-sited with the external stair at the S gable, has been removed.
The masonry is of squared, coursed sandstone with mostly random tooling on the "1780" building, where it appears also to have been raised by two courses. The N gable must have been partially rebuilt, since a blocked doorway visible on the inside is not evident on the outside face. There is a projecting square eaves course, and at the N gable sandstone copings rest on elaborate shaped and dentilled kneelers. The ridge has been renewed throughout with blue clay jointed ridges.
The stables are of slightly superior squared, coursed sandstone. The stones are larger with irregular tooling. The E wall of the S stable has masonry of diminishing courses. An external stair incorporating a dog-house gives access to an upper level entrance in the S gable; to the R, formerly hidden by a lean-to, is a portion of inferior uncoursed masonry. The position of the lean-to is clearly marked by three mortices and an incised roof- line. At the S gable sandstone copings rest on square notched kneelers. There is a round-headed pigeon hole high up in the gable.
The pantiled roof is laid on close set laths. In the large N cell it is carried by two tie-beam trusses, probably 18th century, with pegged collars and apexes, and supporting two sets of lapped purlins, the lower set on cleats. The N truss formerly coincided with a partition wall, probably rising to the tie-beam; this wall seems still to have been in position at the time of the RCHME's visit in 1978 but is marked now only by a change in floor level. At the W end of the N truss a pier of herringbone-tooled stone has been inserted. The principals of the N truss are notched and pegged at the apex. The remainder of the building has a purlin roof.
Prior to removal of the partition wall the small N cell which it terminates was probably a small barn. It has opposing framed doorways, and two blocked vents in the N gable. The E door has four tulip-headed hinges; the sill has been raised in concrete, indicating a rise in floor level; the W door is missing. Joist holes in the N gable indicate a rise in floor level; the W door is missing. Joist holes in the N gable indicate a former loft floor, probably supported by a beam spanning just N of the doorways. Access was via a pitching eye in the E wall or a door, now blocked, in the N gable. It was lit by a rebated window in what appears to be a small blocked window in the gable next to the blocked door.
The area S of the removed partition was probably a byre. The lintel over the door has herringbone tooling, and the door has spoonhead hinges. A further framed doorway (undoored) communicates with the modernised byre to the S, while a pitching eye (now a rather irregular opening) leads to the loft over it. There are a number of timbers projecting through the S and W walls. A stall partition may be re-used from the S stable. There is a large keep hole in the W wall, and a number of other holes perhaps indicating a former loft floor.
The door to the modernised byre - the S cell of the "1780" building - has spoonhead hinges; the inscription is on the lintel above. A window in the opposite wall is smaller that the opening it occupies, and the gap has been infilled with rubble. A beam spans E-W, carrying the chamfered joists of the loft floor. There is a vent in the E wall. Modern fittings comprise four narrow stalls divided by concrete partitions and a galvanised steel tube rail, metal troughs, tethering posts, a concrete floor and drainage channel, and a tiled walkway along the N side of the channel. There are two clay pipe vents to the loft (not entered).
The N stable has a door with a mixture of tulip-head, spoonhead and strap hinges. Like all the doors, except those to the former barn, the door is set in rebated reveals. The lintel is irregularly tooled with margins. The stable accomodated two horses in stalls 160-170cm wide. Surviving fittings include the crudely shaped stall partition, a hay rack, one of the two wooden troughs, a number of pegs for harness and a keep hole. The floor is cobbled. The loft floor above incorporates a hay slot over the hay rack. The loft is enetered via an upper level gable doorway with rebated reveals; it was formerly served by an external stair, the marks of which can be seen inside the S stable. When the S stable was added, however, both the stair and the adjacent lean-to (evidenced by mortices) were resited at the new S gable.
The last portion of the building to be built, the S stable, resembles the N stable closely, with its rebated doorwway, cobbled floor and hay slot in the loft floor above, but all the other fittings have been removed. Only about half of the loft floor remains, reached via the repositioned stair and a door with spoonhead hinges set in rebated reveals. Mortices in the S gable right of the stair indictae the position of the resited lean-to, now removed. A further mortice in the E wall is of uncertain origin." [1]-[18].
Listed Grade II [19].
Site visit 11/11/1999:
Recent re-pointing has removed the scar in the N gable. There are two large sandstone troughs at the NE corner (NTSMR 32228). All the doors are new, although some fittings have been retained. Interior not inspected [20].
Other references noted above [21]-[24]. The history of the complex is given under NTSMR 31318.