Exploring Kent's Past

It should not be assumed that this site is publicly accessible and it may be on private property. Do not trespass.

Monument details

Summary

Late 16th century brick and timber barn built for the storage and threshing of grain. Grade I listed building.

Monument Types

• SITE (Post Medieval to Modern - 1570 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

If you do not understand anything on this page please contact us.

The following text is from the original listed building designation:
CRANBROOK BIDDENDEN ROAD TQ 83 NW (NORTH SIDE) Sissinghurst
4/30 Barn 60 yards north 20.6.67 of the west range of Sissinghurst Castle GV I
Barn. Early C16 red brick with plain tiled roofs. Tumbled parapets to gables. Buttresses to wall, 3 each side of centre. Breathers on 3 levels to left of centre, those to right hidden by lean-to catslide extension. Central pointed- arched wagon entrance, mirroring that to north, with pentice hood over and boarded doors. Mid-stray to north. Interior: 5-bays with Queen-post side- purlin roof and some wind-bracing. Winding hoist attached to beam in roof. This barn is shown in an engraving of 1760 by James Peak with brick end stacks. It is attached to a nineteenth century range of outbuildings to left, (this part not listed).
Listing NGR: TQ8084338316

From the building survey report by Peter Leach: "The barn as originally built is a typical example of those used for the storage and threshing of grain, the salient features being a large open space, central oposing doorways to admit loading wagons, there would have been doors that could be adjusted to create the best airflow during threshing, a centre bay with a harder floor for hand threshing and small vents in the walls for ventilation for stored sheaves or grain. A Pentice, ie canopy over the doorways would be expected but whilst there is no evidence for this one is noted in its description as a listed building. It was presumabvly of timber, possibly freestanding? Boarded doors are also noted which have now gone, although some pivots remain.
The roof structure is probably original, and, if so, a precise date for the building of the barn could be obtained from its timbers by dendrochronology. The brick and architectural style is typical of the 16th century; the similiarity of both to those of the house which has been dated by dendro. To 1570 suggests the barn may be contemporary."(1)

In 2010 Archaeology South-East carried out a survey of the building. The barn was built in the late 16th century; the roof construction suggests a date of c. AD 1575 +/- 25, based upon other dated local examples. During the use of Sissinghurst Castle as a prisoner of war camp in the 18th century, the barn was used possibly as an isolation hospital for smallpox cases. The building was certainly not in use as a barn during this period as there were numerous alterations to it, including the addition of doors, windows and fireplaces. It was subsequently restored to use as a barn. (2)

<1> Peter Leach, 1994, Sissinghurst Castle The Great Barn: Archaeological Report (Unpublished document). SKE15778.

<2> Archaeology South-East, 2011, Sissinghurst Castle, Sissinghurst, Cranbrook, Kent: Conservation Management Plan volume 3 (Unpublished document). SKE25133.

Sources and further reading