NHER 61970 (Building record) - Outbuilding at High House Farm, Wreningham

Outbuilding at High House farm.

June 2015. Building Survey.
Very unprepossessing building with a rusting corrugated iron exterior that actually disguises the remains of a timber-framed building probably of an earlier date (c.1580) than the nearby Grade II* listed farmhouse (NHER 19482). Almost the full extent of the south wall survives, along with the west gable-end and the truncated studs of the north wall. The provision of windows and an upper floor suggest a domestic function although there is no surviving evidence of a hearth and chimney. The structure is shown on the Wreningham tithe map (c. 1840) as a freestanding building, suggesting that it was still an inhabited dwelling at this time. The building was subsequently converted into a barn and by around 1900 had been greatly enlarged, with a tall porch added to the south side. It is possible that these changes resulted in the structure failing in some way as by modern times it had been reduced largely to its original plan (although the rear outshuts have been retained).
The surviving parts of the timber frame are of considerable interest and worthy of preservation providing that it can be repaired and converted without losing its intrinsic qualities.
See report (S1) for further details.
P. Watkins (HES), 7 March 2017.