Hazlehurst Farm cruck barn, Eckington, Derbyshire. Historic Building Recording (OASIS ID: archerit1-302008)

Abstract

An historic building survey and watching brief on groundworks at the Grade II listed cruck barn at Hazlehurst Farm, were undertaken in advance of its renovation and conversion into a residential unit and workshop. The programme of works included the demolition of a 1950s outshot on the east side of the barn. At the time of the works, the Hazlehurst Farm complex including a farmhouse, a derelict cottage, a former dairy, the cruck barn and modern steel framed agricultural buildings. The purpose of the building survey was to provide a detailed photographic and written record of the phasing, fabric and features of the cruck barn. The purpose of the watching brief was to monitor all groundworks and record any archaeological finds or features exposed. The survey identified three key phases of construction and alteration: 1) construction of a timber-framed cruck barn in the 16th century; 2) late 18th- to early 19th-century remodelling, including replacement of the barn walls with stone, alteration of the interior layout, construction of an outshot and re-roofing; 3) 20th-century modifications, including the construction of a smaller outshot on the east side in the 1950s. The only feature identified in the watching brief was a stone-lined drain beneath 18th- to 20th-century floor deposits.