Day 69. The Barn

 The timber-framed and thatched barn of The Gables, a former farmhouse. This is one of two timber-framed barns surviving in Preston today.

The barn was the most important building on a farm. Its purpose was to store the harvested sheaves of corm until threshing commenced. The ears of corn were then beaten with flails until the grain was separated from the straw and chaff. The latter was winnowed away and the grain bagged.

A barn usually had three 16ft bays. Sheaves and threshed straw  were stored in the outer two and the central bay was used for unloading and threshing. The huge doors allowed laden carts to pass through and give breeze for winnowing.

 

The entrance to an 18^th century brick barn, with stables later added. The protruding porch is unusual.

The earliest barns in Preston were timber-framed with wattled panels. The panels were left undaubed, in contrast to most other timber-framed buildings (see Day 5 and Day 6). This was to allow ventilation. Good air circulation was essential to prevent the grain spoiling. The panels of the barn at The Gables have been plastered over; those at Park Farm infilled with brick.

Brick barns were built from the 18^th century. These had the overwhelming advantage of being fire-proof – something we shall return to in a later post. Ventilation was given by a series of gaps in the brickwork.

The small parish barn, built in the 19^th century for the village allotment holders. Note the ubiquitous full-height doors and the diamond pattern of ventilation spaces.