NHER 52858 (Building record) - Agricultural building at Burgh Hall

June 2009. Building Survey.
Level 2 survey of a group of agricultural buildings, prior to their proposed conversion.
The earliest buildings are likely to be the large threshing barns that would have formed the core of the farm. The buildings are almost identical in their dimensions and although they are constructed in slightly different ways they are probably contemporary and a date of 1708 and initials 'J.A.' is inscribed into the stone at the apex of one of the buildings. The letters J.A. probably refer to Jacob Astley (1691-1760) whose family were lords of the manor at Melton since the 13th century. By the time of the 1850 tithe map a number of other buildings were added to the farm including a number of cattle sheds, two cart sheds, two stables and an ancillary building. In 1850 the cattle shed to the north of the eastern yard is yet to develop but the rectangular structure against which the building must have leant has been constructed and was inhabited. The northern most building is a good example of a probable late 18th century cart shed capable of housing multiple carts under its arched lower floor. The upper floor seems to be well protected and as such could be a granary. This was a common arrangement on farms during the 18th and 19th centuries as increasing grain yields led to the development of a purpose built structure to house produce and carts, which would have provided protection from damp and vermin but also made it easier to load grain onto carts.
See report (S1) for further details.
The archive associated with this work has been deposited with the Norwich Castle Museum (NWHCM : 2016.28).
S. Howard (NLA), 30 March 2010. Amended by P. Watkins (HES), 27 April 2019.