Details

The Threshing Barn is one in a group of three Grade II listed buildings in a residential conservation area, in Ashford, Kent. The barn sits between a farm house and an oast, the group once forming a working farmstead. It is a traditionally constructed timber-framed aisled threshing barn, used as an ancillary building to the main residence. The project consisted of the thorough repair and refurbishment of the barn which had fallen into disrepair after years of neglect.

The approach was to carry out necessary repairs and upgrade the thermal envelope to make the barn a comfortable space suitable for a wide range of uses. The intended use upon completion was a large workshop, but the aim was that the resulting space would be flexible enough to adapt to whatever uses future owners may wish, securing the future of the barn for generations to come.

Work included careful repairs to the historic frame taking a minimalist approach relying heavily on traditional skills. The frame was carefully repaired, the fallen midstrey reinstated and a new structural steel tie rod inserted. Additional elements include a new floor with integral heating, rebuilt ragstone and lime plinth walls and an insulated, structural, birch plywood lining throughout. The plywood lining acts as both a structural diaphragm for the frame while also providing the interior finish, reducing the need for wet trades such as plastering. Externally the cladding has been replaced like for like and the existing Kent clay peg tiles were reused on the roof with traditional cast iron guttering fitted. Bespoke new oak barn doors handmade nearby replace the existing doors.

Photography by Chris Snook.

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