NHER 51641 (Building record) - Marsh Farm

July 2008. Building Survey.
Programme of archaeological building recording undertaken at March Farm, prior to proposed conversion works.
The buildings are fairly typical of an 18th century courtyard farm arrangement with the principal building, the threshing barn, on the north side. Historic maps indicate there was a north- south range of buildings attatched to the western end of the barn, which no longer exists. All buildings were constructed of coursed chalk and flint rubble with handmade red brick quoins and door and window surrounds. All the roofs are pantiled.
The first building in the complex is the northen east-west aligned barn of six bays.The south side of the building has three entrances. The central entrance is the widest and broadly corresponds to a blocked entrance on the north side. Two smaller entrances lie either side. Three blocked windows are apparent on the north side of the building and one each at the gable ends. A brick threshing floor occupies the central two bays of the building. The brickwork is of different patterns seperated by brick borders.
The second building, ajoining the main building to the south-west, is largely a modern addition, but may use pre-existing foundations.
The third building in the complex is located in the south west corner of the courtyard. The north, east and most of the west wall are original, but the south wall has been partially rebuilt during the insertion of a new door and window. There is a blocked doorway within the north wall. The roof is a modern replacement, and the floor is of hand-made brick laid in a paired pattern.
The final building is located in the south-east corner of the courtyard, with walls of coursed chalk rubble with decorative brick inserts, brick quoins and door surrounds. Above the eaves the building is all of recent construction, and the south facing double door is a recent insert into an earlier door opening.
See report (S1) for further details.
The associated archive has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2016.302).
H. White (NLA), 2 December 2008. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 22 June 2019.