Cranhill Barn near Sapperton

After we left the amazing swathes of snowdrops at Cherington lake yesterday, I drove the long way round, up the steep hill and through the village to take the old drove road that heads north via Sapperton and along the tops of the Cotswold hills. I pottered to look at the wintry views, which are so different without the leaf cover on the trees and with bare ploughed earth on the arable fields. I slowed as we passed a small roadside wood and wondered to Helena whether it was an old quarry site, which would be no use as farmland, but ideal for growing timber.

I then looked across the fields on the other side of the road towards the vast woodlands of the Bathurst Estate, the property of one of the largest landowners in Gloucestershire. I saw an original barn on the far side of the field and mentioned my idea to take a photo record of all the old barns in the area before they get converted into high status dwellings. I do have a lot of silly ideas.

Today I went back to start the project at Cranhill Barn, as I now discover it is called. From my 1:25000 series map of Sapperton, I saw that there were four barns marked between Cherington and Sapperton alone. The map is old and I fear the worst. But Cranhill is still a barn, with a single cross entrance (there can often be two of them), and no doors to keep the elements out.

I had to walk about half a mile along footpaths, which were in themselves interesting, having huge flat limestone block stiles, to prevent animals passing between the fields. The field systems are very large now, and many of the old stone walls have been removed for intensive arable agriculture. A small rectilinear wood lined the approach to the buildings, down the side of a field, filled with huge christmas trees.

The barn actually is not very old and is well maintained. A completely new roof has been added and the extension is very modern, designed perfectly for a single rise dwelling space. But the interior is completely empty except for the remains of the old wooden doors. I think whoever owns the barn has started the process of converting it, without planning permission. It has gutters and all the eaves have been pointed which is what you do to houses, not barns. The land surrounding the barn has a few stone walls or else modern wood fencing marking out the perimeter of the original yard. There is piped water and even an original strange stone walled gateway which suggest to me that a long time ago this was a small working farm. Now it seems to have no agricultural use at all. I think better get my skates on if I cam going to find the many old barns.

I've really liked them ever since I first came to the Cotswolds in 1975 to work decorating a working farmhouse of a friend, with an attached barn that had just been converted, beautifully as it happens. But I learnt a lot about the old buildings of the area and still appreciate these amazing buildings.

I'm not sure this is the best picture, but I rather stupidly took too many and I want to post a blip quickly as I have to go and prepare a supper of rice with vegetables cooked in a coconut sauce. Must get my priorities right.