Friday 6 November 2015

A Barn with a History

We have recently been lucky enough to buy another field close to our farm. This includes a small stone building which is still in reasonable condition.


It is not very big but inside one can clearly see a fireplace on one wall.


It is thought that it was an office or restroom for miners. A lot of this area was heavily mined for iron ore particularly for the Redding colour and we have documents that confirm this. Interestingly this particular field has for a long time been known as Dawbarns. Dawbarn was the name of iron merchant who worked some of the land for iron ore in the 1870s and 1880s.


It has been used for many things since. One neighbour recalls Brian's uncle storing potatoes in it. It has been a general storage area and more recently cattle have been allowed to wander in to find a bit of shelter.


We have jokingly suggested that our eldest daughter could move in. It does after all have running water....


We will most likely use it as a wildlife refuge to encourage barn owls and bats etc. unless you have any better suggestions...



8 comments:

  1. it looks fabulous - love the red stone and the fireplace and how it nestles beneath the trees. having avidly watched George Clark's small spaces I'm thinking it would make a fabulous abode for someone

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  2. It's wonderful! I've always wanted a tiny space of my own. I'm quite envious!

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  3. Is it too far for a hideaway craft room?
    I love your idea of a sanctuary for wildlife. I too have loved some of the 'small spaces' results but crikey they spend a lot on them.

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  4. Oh, how interesting. I love those sort of discoveries.

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  5. If only those walls could tell their story.. It looks very solidly built.

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  6. I don't know how I missed this one - I always read your posts. The little stone barn is fabulous - I can see it as a garden retreat - or a craft cottage - so many possibilities - I'd love to have such a cute building.

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  7. Oh what a find!! I would love to use it as a hobbit hole.... somewhere to sit and read a book. I wonder if that fireplace would work? But lovely as that idea is, the wildlife probably need it more.

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  8. Forgot to say, I loved hearing about the history, and how the field got it's name. I love that fields used to be named. I once had a horse and the farm had a huge field called Mill Meadow. It gives the clue that there was once a windmill and you can still trace footings in the undergrowth. When I was at school we used to walk through the meadow instead of going the road way. I once tripped and pulled an old stirrup out the ground. I gave it to the museum who dated it to about 17th cent.

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