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A field barn is an outbuilding located in a
File:Feldscheune Bamberg -20200626-RM-170631.jpg, Field barn in Bamberg, Germany
File:Highfield Barn - geograph.org.uk - 3348508.jpg, Highfield Barn, Westleton, England
File:Old Field Barn Southern Finland 06.jpg, Old field barn in southern Finland
A field barn is an outbuilding located in a field
Field may refer to:
Expanses of open ground
* Field (agriculture), an area of land used for agricultural purposes
* Airfield, an aerodrome that lacks the infrastructure of an airport
* Battlefield
* Lawn, an area of mowed grass
* Meadow, a grass ...
, some distance ("further afield") from farmer's residence or the main cluster of buildings that constitute a farmstead
A homestead is an isolated dwelling, especially a farmhouse, and adjacent outbuildings, typically on a large agricultural holding such as a ranch or station.
In North America the word "homestead" historically referred to land claimed by a settl ...
. Field barns were necessary when arable fields or valuable pastures were located some distance from a village or the residences of the agricultural workers who tended the fields. Rather than "commuting" back and forth to the field with livestock, tools, or harvests, the field barn allowed on-site storage (usually of straw, hay, and additional feed), as well as providing shelter for herds during inclement weather or when pregnant cattle or sheep needed respite and a clean place to labor. Field barns were also used for the drying and curing of hay, which protected the nutritional content of the crop better than drying and curing in the field.
In English agricultural history, many farms ended up "pie-shaped" (in order to connect the farm to the central village) and field barns were constructed at the distant wide end. Early examples in Staffordshire were essentially just a shed, those latterly built often had a foldyard and an additional shelter shed. Field barn construction began to decline with the rise of mechanized threshing
Threshing, or thrashing, is the process of loosening the edible part of grain (or other crop) from the straw to which it is attached. It is the step in grain preparation after reaping. Threshing does not remove the bran from the grain.
History ...
.
Field barns in England
Historic England
Historic England (officially the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England) is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. It is tasked w ...
have been mapping field barns and outfarms across England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
and have noted that 72% have disappeared since 1900. They have confirmed the significance of these structures noting that:
* Examples dating back to the 18th century or earlier are very rare
* Some field barns and outfarms may provide evidence of former farmsteads where the farmhouse has been demolished following the amalgamation of farms.
* Field barns and outfarms have particularly vulnerable to dereliction once they are no longer in use.
Some county-based research projects have been carried out by the County Council
A county council is the elected administrative body governing an area known as a county. This term has slightly different meanings in different countries.
Ireland
The county councils created under British rule in 1899 continue to exist in Irel ...
s:
* The Suffolk County Council
Suffolk County Council is the administrative authority for the county of Suffolk, England. It is run by 75 elected county councillors representing 63 divisions. It is a member of the East of England Local Government Association.
History
Estab ...
Archaeological Service's ''Farmsteads in the Suffolk Countryside Project'' found evidence for 265 field barns in Suffolk
Suffolk () is a ceremonial county of England in East Anglia. It borders Norfolk to the north, Cambridgeshire to the west and Essex to the south; the North Sea lies to the east. The county town is Ipswich; other important towns include L ...
.
Gallery
See also
* Field cabin *Bank barns
A bank barn or banked barn is a style of barn noted for its accessibility, at ground level, on two separate levels. Often built into the side of a hill, or bank, both the upper and the lower floors area could be accessed from ground level, one are ...
*
* Waino Tanttari Field Hay Barn
* Field Barn Heaths, Hilborough
References
{{reflist Buildings and structures Vernacular architecture Barns Agricultural buildings