TAP ResearchPaper190-PEARETH HALL BARN_WASHINGTON

Carlton, R. J., & Ryder, P. F., 2013, Peareth Hall Barn, Springwell, Washington, Sunderland: Historic Building Record. The Archaeological Practice Research Paper No. 190. Newcastle Upon Tyne PEARETH HALL BARN SPRINGWELL WASHINGTON SUNDERLAND HISTORIC BUILDING RECORD APRIL 2013 PREPARED BY ARCHAEOLOGICAL PRACTICE LTD. THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL PRACTICE LTD www.thearchaeologicalpractice.co.uk Tel: 0191 2730777 PEARETH HALL BARN SPRINGWELL WASHINGTON SUNDERLAND Historic Buildings Record Frontispiece: An historic view taken from the south-east, thought to date to around 1880, showing part of the south façade of the barn including, at bottom right, part of one of the arched entrances from the sunken yard. Oasis Project No. thearcha2-148582 Grid Ref.: NZ 2943 5865 The Archaeological Practice Ltd. 2013 CONTENTS SUMMARY 1. INTRODUCTION 2. BUILDING DESCRIPTION 3. THE PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD 4. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5. REFERENCES ILLUSTRATIONS Cover: View from the south-west of the east part of the south elevation of Peareth Hall barn and the west elevation of its southern extension, with the east elevation of Peareth Hall farmhouse to the west. Frontispiece: An historic view taken from the south-east, thought to date to around 1880, showing part of the south façade of the barn including, at bottom right, part of one of the arched entrances from the sunken yard. Illus. 01: The Location of Peareth Hall Farm (arrowed) west of Sunderland. Illus. 02: The Location of Peareth Hall Farm (arrowed) on the north-west side of Washington. Illus. 03: The Location of Peareth Hall Farm (arrowed) on the north-east side of Springwell Village. Illus. 04: The current arrangement of buildings at Peareth Hall Farm, with the original barn infilled red. Illus. 05: Print of the south side of Usworth House, c.1820. Illus. 06: Late 19th century view of the north side of Usworth House. Illus. 07: Early 20th century view of the south side of Usworth House. Illus. 08: 1860s Ordnance Survey Plan Illus. 09: 1890s Ordnance Survey Plan Illus. 10: 1900s Ordnance Survey Plan Illus. 11: 1920s Ordnance Survey Plan showing the surviving barn in the context of Usworth Village. Illus. 12: Extract from the 1930s Ordnance Survey Plan. Illus. 13: Extract from the 1960s Ordnance Survey Plan. Illus. 14: Survey of Peareth Hall Barn by Beaumont Brown Architects amended to show historic phasing. Illus. 15: A suggested reconstruction of Peareth Hall barn, by Peter Ryder. Peareth Hall Barn, Springwelll, Sunderland – Historic Buildings Record 3 The Archaeological Practice Ltd. 2013 SUMMARY A programme of building recording has been carried out in advance of the proposed conversion of a redundant barn at Peareth Hall, between Great Usworth and Springwell, in the district of Washington, Sunderland The photographic recording was undertaken during February 2013 using colour digital photography. In addition, a measured plan of the buildings has been annotated to show historic phasing. In addition, an attempt was made to research the history of the building through locally available historic maps and records. Although little of direct relevance was found historic drawings and maps provide some contextual information. It is concluded that this building was constructed by William Peareth, who bought the land in 1750 and constructed on it the original Usworth House, a small country house of some architectural pretensions; The house formed the centrepiece of a greater complex of buildings which included, set back to either side, a north-south block with its south end in line with north front of the house, each with a yard attached to its external face that had another separate range of buildings on its north, as well as other small outbuildings. It would seem reasonable to conclude that these flanking buildings were part of the original mid-18th century build, and that the assemblage faced south. Around 1900 the original mansion and the western buildings were demolished leaving the eastern north-south block – the present Peareth Hall – and the separate range on the north of its yard, the Barn. The sunken yard attached to the barn appears on the earliest maps, but is first shown as (partially) roofed over on the 1920s edition; on the 1960s map the roofed-over section is shown as extended eastwards to cover the full yard, as at present. The original structure of the Barn has been badly treated during the various 20th century alterations, having lost its roof and having its south elevation mutilated and partly concealed by the Southern Outbuilding; despite all this, only a relatively small proportion of the original fabric has actually been lost. Although relatively simple as regards architectural detail; it has been a structure of considerable quality, evidenced by the standard of the ashlar masonry used on all four elevations. It is recommended that the surviving fabric of the original barn should be preserved as part of any redevelopment of the structure. Although restoration to the original form and appearance of the barn is theoretically possible, it may be considered more appropriate to incorporate the original fabric into a design which clearly distinguishes between the 18th century phase from any modern additions. The various historic additions made to the south and east sides of the building are all relatively modern with the exception of a short section of the south wall of the eastern extension, but the fragmentary nature of this wall and relatively modern date of the remainder means that they do not merit preservation. Peareth Hall Barn, Springwelll, Sunderland – Historic Buildings Record 4 The Archaeological Practice Ltd. 2013 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Project Background Permission is being sought to convert a redundant barn between Springwell and Great Usworth for residential use. A programme of archaeological building recording and a heritage statement have been requested by Sunderland Council in advance of the determination of planning proposals in order to safeguard historic fabric. 1.2 Background The site falls within the former Constablery of Great Usworth in the Parish of Washington, the historic vill of which (now Old Washington village) lies about two miles to the south. In the Boldon Buke (1183) is recorded: Great Useworth pays 30s. for cornage, provides one milch cow, and one man for Castle-ward; eight chalders of malt, as many of meal, and as many of oats; each carucate (the demesne excepted) ploughs and harrows two acres. The tenants in villenage perform four Porcations, with twenty-six men to each porcation; and the services which they used to perform at Washington, they now render at Gateshead; further, they carry annually one pipe of wine, and one mill-stone, to Durham. The Dreng feeds a horse, a dog, bears his part in the great hunt with two greyhounds and five cords of provision, follows the Court of Pleas, and serves on messages. The mill pays ten shillings rent. Under Hatfield's Survey (1381), Sir William Hilton held two parts of the vill, and Alice de Moderby held the remaining third. The family of Hilton retained the manor until the general dispersion of the property, in 1750, when the estate was sold by public auction, in eight farms or lots. Of these, two farms were purchased by William Peareth of Newcastle who built Usworth House and its attached coach houses and barn ranges. William Peareth died in 1775, but in 1787 Hutchinson called the house, ‘newly-erected’ suggesting that it may not have been built immediately after William Peareth’s purchase of the land, but some years after, perhaps around 1760. Surtees, in 1820, describes the house as follows: Usworth House, a handsome stone building, of regular architecture, in an open commanding situation, with an extensive prospect to the South and East. The mansion is sheltered by a fine grove on the North and West, and the grounds are scattered over with lofty flourishing evergreens, yew, cypress, and Lusitanian laurel. Usworth House is now the seat of Mrs. Peareth, widow of William Peareth, Esq. The present barn sits adjacent to Peareth Hall Farmhouse, the surviving coach house which formed part of the eastern wing of buildings associated with the former Usworth House. The farmhouse (former coach house) is a Grade II Listed Building (English Heritage Building ID: 303238; OS Grid Reference: NZ 29432 58655): Coach-house wing of large house, now single dwelling. Supposedly c.1750, but perhaps late C.18. Ashlar; pantiled roof. One storey, five windows; central door; right return has venetian window in round-headed recess. Plinth, cill band and eaves cornice. Windows all sashes with glazing bars. Rear has coach-house and other doors in basement beneath five windows. Hipped roof has one end brick chimney. One of a pair of wings to Usworth House built for William Peareth, c.1750; the house was demolished c.1900 and this is the principal feature now surviving. Peareth Hall Barn, Springwelll, Sunderland – Historic Buildings Record 5 Ordnance Survey License no.: 10044772 Illus. 01: The Location of Peareth Hall Farm (arrowed) west of Sunderland. Ordnance Survey License no.: 10044772 Illus. 02: The Location of Peareth Hall Farm (arrowed) on the north-west side of Washington. 6 Ordnance Survey License no.: 10044772 Illus. 03: The Location of Peareth Hall Farm (arrowed) on the north-east side of Springwell Village. PEARETH HALL FARM 113.7m 108.3m 109.0m 117.2m Ordnance Survey License no.: 10044772 108.6m Illus. 04: The current arrangement of buildings at Peareth Hall Farm, with the original barn infilled red. 7 The Archaeological Practice Ltd. 2013 1.3 Methodology The photographic recording of Peareth Hall barn was undertaken in February 2013 using colour digital photography. All elevations were photographed as far as possible face-on and from a consistent height and perspective. Where possible, all record photographs included a scaled ranging pole. Where it was not possible to capture an entire elevation in a single photograph because of the constricted nature of the site, a series of partial elevations were recorded along with an oblique overall view of the full elevation. A search was made for maps, documents and historic photographs which could shed light on the history of the building, but little of significance was located. Specifically, a search was made for an Enclosure map which in this location might have been produced soon after the middle of the 18th century, but no such map was located in the archives of Tyne & Wear in Newcastle, the Durham County Recrods Office in County Hall or Durham University Library. A series of Ordnance Survey plans are reproduced in the report, however, showing the development of the site since c.1860, and a record of modern ownership could be derived from census and trades directory records, but was not considered pertinent to the main purpose of the fieldwork undertaken. Peareth Hall Barn, Springwelll, Sunderland – Historic Buildings Record 8 The Archaeological Practice Ltd. 2013 2. BUILDING DESCRIPTION 2.1 Introduction Peareth Hall Farm (NZ 2945 5865) stands c 700 m to the east of the centre of Springwell, on the north-west edge of Washington New Town, at an altitude of c 110m OD, on the north side of Peareth Hall Road, and close to the west side of a cutting containing the modern A194 (see Illus, 01-04). Peareth Hall is a mid-18th century building, a grade II listed structure; this report is concerned with a block referred to as ‘Peareth Hall Barn’ which stands immediately to the east of the house, which is itself one of a pair of ranges which originally flanked Usworth House, demolished around 1900. The present name appears to be taken from William Peareth for whom the original house was built. 2.2 Description of Peareth Hall Barn The Barn is a rectangular building set west-south-west to east-north-east (hereafter west-east) c 16 by 6.5 m externally, set on ground that slopes down quite steeply from west to east, allowing the eastern part of the building to have a basement or undercroft, entered from a sunken yard on the south, later covered over to form what is here termed the Southern Outbuilding; there is another small outbuilding attached to the east end of the original structure. 2.2.1 The Original Barn The Barn is constructed of neat courses of tooled-and-margined sandstone ashlar, which vary slightly in height; a square-topped plinth c 0.5 m above the ground at the west end of the building is continued along the full length of the north wall, so as to be almost at mid-height at the east end; the east wall and eastern part of the south wall (now within the outbuilding) have a square-section band at the same level. The present roof is a shallow-pitched one of corrugated metal sheets, continued at the same angle across the southern outbuilding. The south elevation has been of four bays, in two pairs, the eastern two now concealed externally by the southern outbuilding. The ground floor has had a doorway in the second bay (from the west) and windows in others, and above each has been a smaller window set directly beneath the eaves. The openings in the first two bays have been knocked together to produce a single broad one, spanned by girders and formerly covered by sliding doors (the fittings for which remain) replaced by a pair of double doors and a single boarded door to the east, with horizontal slatting above. Both jambs of the present opening are formed by the rebated outer jambs of the earlier windows and doorway. The two ground-floor windows further east are now both covered by the southern outbuilding (within which they are concealed by stoothing and wallpaper), but remain visible as recesses, continued down to floor level and spanned by timber lintels, internally; the first-floor windows above them have been blocked, and are only just traceable as areas of walling that are less heavily whitewashed. Below them, and opening onto the roofed-over yard, are two segmental arches, rebated externally, with pintles for double doors, and a square-section impost band. The west wall of the building has a single doorway set centrally, which retains an old 6panel door under a 3-pane overlight. The lower part of the east end is concealed by the eastern outbuilding, but its upper part, above the band, has two blind windows. The only original opening in the north wall is at basement level, a blocked window close to Peareth Hall Barn, Springwelll, Sunderland – Historic Buildings Record 9 Illus. 05: Print of the south side of Usworth House, c.1820. Illus. 06: Late 19th century view of the north side of Usworth House. Illus. 07: Early 20th century view of the south side of Usworth House. 10 Illus. 08: 1860s Ordnance Survey Plan Illus. 09: 1890s Ordnance Survey Plan Illus. 10: 1900s Ordnance Survey Plan 11 Illus. 11: 1920s Ordnance Survey Plan showing the surviving barn in the context of Usworth Village Illus. 12: Extract from the 1930s Ordnance Survey Plan. Illus. 13: Extract from the 1960s Ordnance Survey Plan. 12 The Archaeological Practice Ltd. 2013 the east end; in the upper section of the wall are a range of four pipe vents, crudely broken through the ashlar. The interior of the building is much encumbered with fittings and stored material; the floor is partly of concrete and partly of stone flags. The walls are heavily whitewashed; the rebuilt walling above the girder lintel of the big opening on the south is evident through not having whitewash. In the west wall, immediately to the north of the doorway, are remains of a cut-back flue, lined in brick. On the south wall the sawn-off ends of upright-section joists are visible, resting directly on the timber internal lintels of the two windows in the eastern bays. The present roof is of six bays, with light girder trusses, probably of earlier 20th century date. The undercroft-basement consists of a pair of chambers with roughly-coursed stone walls and barrel vaults in old brick (all whitewashed over); in the north wall of the eastern the blocked opening visible externally is set right-of-centre; it extends down to floor level, and has a timber lintel 1.3 m above the floor . In the north wall of the eastern there is an infilled socket c 0.40 m square, set centrally and c 1 m above the floor; in front of it are two small piercings in the crown of the vault, of uncertain purpose. 2.2.2 The Southern Outbuilding This began as a sunken walled yard, roughly rectangular but with a canted southeastern angle, roofed over and with a timber superstructure added, which in its present form probably dates from the mid-20th century. The west (uphill) side has a low wall of roughly-coursed stone, which looks a relatively recent rebuilt, beneath a big beam which carries the 20th-century superstructure. On the south and east the substructure is taller, as the ground drops away, and consists of a series of brick piers with blockwork in between, in the westernmost bay set above a stone wall c1.5 m high (and having a small segmental-headed window framed in brick), in the others above a stone or concrete plinth; on the east the second bay from the north is open, with boarded double doors. The timber superstructure, access to which is gained by a short external stair on the west, is of little interest. 2.2.3 The Eastern Outbuilding The present structure here is of 20th-century date, but replaces an earlier one, as evidenced by a gabled roof line visible on the end wall of the Barn above. It would appear to have been secondary to the Barn, but appears on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey map of c 1860, as a roughly square structure rather narrower than the Barn, but with its south wall in line. Part of this south wall, with a square-section band c 1m above the ground, is retained in the present building, along with a little masonry adjacent to the south-east corner of the original barn, but the east and north walls seem relatively modern, although re-using older stone. The low-pitched pent roof is of corrugated sheeting. 2.3 Discussion The original Usworth House was clearly a small country house of some architectural pretensions; the 1st and 2nd editions of the Ordnance Survey 25”:1 mile map (1860s and 1890s) show an outline plan of symmetrical assemblage of buildings in what would seem to have been their original form (Illus. 08-13). The house, in the centre, had an almost semi-circular plan with a straight façade on the north (bar a central projection, apparently with an external stair) but five lobes or bays facing south (Illus. 05-07). Set back to either side was a north-south block with its south end in line with north front of the house, each with a yard attached to its external face that had another separate range of buildings on its north, as well as other small outbuildings; it would seem reasonable to conclude that these flanking buildings were part of the original mid-18th Peareth Hall Barn, Springwelll, Sunderland – Historic Buildings Record 13 The Archaeological Practice Ltd. 2013 century build, and that the assemblage faced south, to judge from the Venetian window in the south end of the present house, in contrast to the featureless north elevations of both the present house (which was probably originally a coach house range) and the Barn. Around 1900 the original mansion and the western buildings were demolished leaving the eastern north-south block – the present Peareth Hall – and the separate range on the north of its yard, the Barn. The sunken yard attached to the barn appears on the earliest maps, but is first shown as (partially) roofed over on the 1920s edition; on the 1960s map the roofed-over section is shown as extended eastwards to cover the full yard, as at present. An old photograph, thought to date from the 1880s, shows the western part of the Barn from the south-east, with the openings in the two western bays, and a hip-ended roof of pantiles (like that of the north-south range) roof hipped at and in the foreground the wall on the west of the sunken yard, its coping sloping down from, north to south. The earlier maps shown it linking to a range of small structures ( the 1st edition map shows here, the 2nd two) which may have been pigsties, before returning east on the south side of the yard; these disappear during the 20th century alterations. The original structure of the Barn has been badly treated during the various 20th century alterations, having lost its roof and having its south elevation mutilated and partly concealed by the Southern Outbuilding; despite all this, only a relatively small proportion of the original fabric has actually been lost, and restoration to its original form remains theoretically possible. Although relatively simple as regards architectural detail; it has been a structure of considerable quality, evidenced by the standard of the ashlar masonry used on all four elevations Peareth Hall Barn, Springwelll, Sunderland – Historic Buildings Record 14 The Archaeological Practice Ltd. 2013 Illus. 14: Survey of Peareth Hall Barn by Beaumont Brown Architects amended to show historic phasing. Peareth Hall Barn, Springwelll, Sunderland – Historic Buildings Record 15 The Archaeological Practice Ltd. 2013 3. THE PHOTOGRAPHIC RECORD Table 1: Catalogue of photographs Photo Description no. 1 View from the north-west of Peareth Hall Barn (to left of view) associated the current Peareth Hall, a former coach house to Usworth House. 2 View from the south of the barn with extensions covering its associated sunken yard to the south, with Peareth Hall to left of view. 3 The west end of the south elevation of Peareth Hall barn (right of view) standing in relation to the east elevation of Peareth Hall farmhouse. 4 The west end of the south elevation of Peareth Hall barn and the flagged yard surface between it and Peareth Hall farmhouse. 5 The west end of the south elevation of Peareth Hall barn showing the raised cobbled surface at its entrance. 6 Detail of masonry at the extreme west end of the south elevation of the barn, showing chisel marks and erosion as well as embedded metal pins suggesting the position of a plaque or similar. 7 The west elevation of the southern extension to the barn. 8 View from the south-west of the yard between Peareth Hall farmhouse and barn, bounded by the east part of the south elevation of the barn and the west elevation of its southern extension, with the east elevation of Peareth Hall farmhouse to the west. 9 The south elevation of the southern extension to the barn. 10 The east elevation of the south extension to the barn. 11 Water trough, possibly original to the barn/Usworth House complex, at the southeast corner of the southern extension to the barn. 12 The south wall of the largely-modern east extension to the barn, including a short section of masonry which may be contemporary with the barn itself and is the only piece of masonry of any merit within the complex outwith the original barn structure. 13 The east end elevation of the barn and southern extension. 14 The upper part of the east end elevation of the barn. 15 The lower part of the east end elevation of the barn, viewed from the north-east. 16 The north elevation of the barn. 17 The east end of the north elevation of the barn. 18 Blocked opening at external ground level in the east end of the north elevation of the barn. 19 The west part of the north elevation of the barn, with brick-built pens adjoining on the north side. 20 Oblique view from the south-east of the west end elevation of the barn. 21 Doorway in the west end elevation of the barn. 22 Oblique view from the south-west of the west end elevation and west end of the south elevation of the barn. 23 Raised cobbling at the entrance to the barn at the west end of the south elevation. 24 Internal view towards the west end of the barn. 25 Internal view of the west end of the barn. 26 View of the interior face of the west end of the north wall of the barn. 27 Part of a window opening in the centre of the internal south wall of the barn, opening into the southern extension. 28 Internal view of the modern lintel above the wide doorway in the west end of the south wall. 29 View within the southern extension from the south-east of the two arched openings Peareth Hall Barn, Springwelll, Sunderland – Historic Buildings Record 16 The Archaeological Practice Ltd. 2013 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 forming the east part of the south elevation of the barn within the sunken yard south of the original barn structure. Arched entrance into the eastern of two vaults forming the east part of the south elevation of the barn. View from the east of the masonry pillar between the two vaults forming the east part of the south elevation of the barn. Back wall of the eastern of two vaults forming the east part of the south elevation of the barn. View form the south within the southern extension showing the two arched openings forming the east part of the south elevation of the barn. Arched entrance into the western of two vaults forming the east part of the south elevation of the barn. View from the south-west of the masonry pillar between the two vaults forming the east part of the south elevation of the barn. Side and back walls of the western of two vaults forming the east part of the south elevation of the barn. Oblique view from the north of the east-facing internal west (& part of the south) wall of the modern southern extension to the barn. The west part of the north-facing internal south wall of the modern southern extension to the barn. Illus. 15: A suggested reconstruction of Peareth Hall barn, by Peter Ryder. Peareth Hall Barn, Springwelll, Sunderland – Historic Buildings Record 17 The Archaeological Practice Ltd. 2013 4. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Based on the production of a measured and photographic survey, together with documentary study, it is concluded that the building was constructed by William Peareth, and formed one of a wider complex of south-facing buildings contemporary with Usworth House, a small country house probably built around the year 1760. Around 1900 the original mansion and buildings extending from its west side were demolished leaving the eastern north-south block – the present Peareth Hall – and the separate range on the north of its yard, the Barn. An old photograph (see Frontispiece), thought to date from the 1880s, shows the western part of the Barn from the southeast, with the openings in the two western bays, and a hip-ended roof of pantiles. The sunk yard attached to the barn appears on the earliest maps, but is first shown as (partially) roofed over on the 1920s Ordnance Survey map; on the 1960s map the roofed-over section is shown as extended eastwards to cover the full yard, as at present. The original structure of the Barn has been badly treated during the various 20th century alterations, having lost its roof and having its south elevation mutilated and partly concealed by the Southern Outbuilding; despite all this, only a relatively small proportion of the original fabric has actually been lost. Although relatively simple as regards architectural detail; it has been a structure of considerable quality, evidenced by the standard of the ashlar masonry used on all four elevations It is recommended that the surviving fabric of the original barn should be preserved as part of any redevelopment of the structure. Although restoration to the original form and appearance of the barn is theoretically possible (see Illus.15, above), it may be considered more appropriate to incorporate the original fabric into a design which clearly distinguishes between the 18th century phase from any modern additions. The various historic additions made to the south and east sides of the building are all relatively modern with the exception of that on the east side, which, although largely rebuilt, contains some earlier masonry - a short section forming the east part of its south wall - which could be contemporary with the barn, but is more likely to be a 19th century addition, perhaps using masonry derived from other, demolished parts of the Usworth House complex. The fragmentary nature of this wall and relatively modern date of the remainder means that they do not merit preservation. Peareth Hall Barn, Springwelll, Sunderland – Historic Buildings Record 18 The Archaeological Practice Ltd. 2013 5. REFERENCES Hutchinson. W, 1823, The History and Antiquiteis of the County Palatine of Durham, Durham: G. Walker. Surtees, R, 1820, 'Parish of Washington', The History and Antiquities of the County Palatine of Durham: volume 2: Chester ward. Peareth Hall Barn, Springwelll, Sunderland – Historic Buildings Record 19 01.) 02.) 03.) 04.) 20 05.) 06.) 07.) 08.) 21 09.) 10.) 11.) 12.) 22 13.) 14.) 15.) 16.) 23 18.) 17.) 20.) 19.) 24 21.) 23.) 22.) 24.) 25 25.) 26.) 27.) 28.) 26 29.) 30.) 31.) 32.) 27 33.) 34.) 35.) 36.) 37.) 38.) 28