The Oak Barn, Frame Farm
Conversion of 18th Century Oak framed Barn to Wedding Venue
The project comprised the conservation and conversion of a Grade II listed barn to a wedding venue together with replacement of an existing byre to form a further meeting space and new driveway and car park.
The barn comprised an 18th Century timber frame on poorly constructed brick and ragstone plinths which had largely failed. Although the frame had significantly distorted it was still supporting the Kent peg tile pitched roof. Water ingress through missing tiles and poor valley details had resulted in decay to the frame.
A strategy for replacing the foundations was developed that could be installed efficiently with the barn in-situ thereby avoiding the need for major temporary supports.
A strategy for replacing the foundations was developed that could be installed efficiently with the barn in-situ thereby avoiding the need for major temporary supports.
A detailed survey of the frame was carried out recording individual members together with defects. Numerous localised repairs were developed all of which allowed the timber to remain in-situ throughout the process. This maximised the retention of historic fabric. In one case the principal frame had significant distortion due to the failed plinth. A technique for correcting distortion was developed by ACA and adopted by the contractor using carefully located chain hoists, tirfor winches and strops. New sheathing was applied to the outside face providing increased stability and exposing frame members fully internally.
A new package treatment plant was designed to serve the whole site and discharged to a drainage field with outfall into a watercourse meeting the Environment Agency’s requirements. Surface water was directed to a separate drainage field with outfall into a watercourse.
This barn is now a highly successful wedding venue having been a neglected agricultural building. Limited loss of historic fabric occurred but with the benefit that the existing timber frame is now repaired and preserved within the new building and can be enjoyed. The project by careful selection of details has been achieved cost efficiently.
Timber barns were frequently built in large numbers in the 17th and 18th Century. However, this particular example had several features of interest as well as being in reasonable condition. The presence of jowls at the top of the principal posts was notable. A distinctive feature was the presence of diagonal braces from the principal post to the soleplate at the centre of the barn. Two pairs existed and one was retained in the finished project
All Rights Reserved | Adrian Cox Associates