The Farm Buildings

The Original farm-yard was at Clogh Corr or Prospect and some of the buildings remain in a derelict state. The layout of the yard there is probably much as it was in William’s time and the remains of his fortified house still stand. It is described in an old document as a castle “having two round or octagon towers at the two front angles, a large hail, and the floors and stairs of oak, wainscotted apartments, and chimney-pieces ornamented with painted tiles. . . old people affirm that there were ‘gun-holes’ in the walls of the castle.”

The oldest buildings in the present farm-yard probably date from the same time as the house, 1760, though some may be earlier. The most impressive building is the BELL BARN (No. 6), an unusual and outstanding example of a threshing barn. This building is still in the course of restoration and one end continues to be used for the storage of grain in bulk. A modern grain dryer was housed in it until recently. As originally built it had an open threshing floor in the centre where the grain was separated from the straw with flails. This was a job that could be done in the winter or during bad weather and for convenience the unthreshed corn was stored in lofts to either side. Above the ‘‘floor” was a granary in the form of wooden store rooms where corn could be stored either in bags or in bulk and delivered to the ground floor through shutes when required. The threshed grain was hoisted up by a wheel and pulley, which is still in position. Beneath the lofts were bullock stalls with a feeding passage along the front. As Arthur Young said “the whole building is well executed and very convenient, and contains two large bullock sheds.” The “king post” construction of the roof and the open slating pattern to improve ventilation is of interest. As farming became more mechanised a barn threshing machine was installed driven by two horses turning a shaft in a “horse walk” outside. You can see such a machine in the barn today.

The BYRE (No. 9), of elegant and practical design, is one of the older buildings and is typical of it’s period. As originally built the roof was hipped at both ends, the part containing the DOVE-COTE being added later, and thus it was completely symmetrical. It had a loft above for the storage of fodder and bedding and a row of stalls and tyings with a feeding rack along the back wall. At the lower end was a “slaughter house”, a room where animals could be killed and bled. The loft and internal fittings were taken out in recent times to make use of the
building for housing sheep or cattle. It houses ‘~ a collection of horse drawn and other farm
machinery with explanations and illustrations to show how they were used.
The FORGE (No. 8) is another old building used until recently as a workshop and now open to display the blacksmith’s forge and anvil and some of his tools. It is used periodically for the shoeing of horses and there are photographs of a blacksmith at work.
The POTATO HOUSE ~No. 7), like all the barns, used to have a loft, now removed to facilitate the storage of machinery. It dates from the nineteenth century and is built following the slope of the ground, surely a more difficult exercise than the normal horizontal method. in it you will find a family coach, a “Clarence”, fully restored and a side-car or jaunting-car. There are also displays relating to the coaching era. As its name indicates, the barn was originally used for the storage of potatoes.

The DUTCH BARN (S) is a building typical of modern farm construction and serves many purposes, now being used for the storage of some farm machines such as the combine harvester and as a tea-room and craft shop. In the loft above is an historical museum and interpretative display. The room is also designed to be used for purposes of instruction and the showing of video films. A visit here will give you a good picture of farming at Leslie Hill past and present, details of flora and fauna and the environment and a fascinating study of social history with many original exhibits.The HAVELS (No.11) is a long building running at right angles to the BELL BARN, the bottom storey of which is very strongly constructed as a series of arches. It was originally built as a platform for corn stacks or “sheaghs” and the upper storey was added later. In recent times it was used as a two storey pig house and now the lower storey provides pens for hens, bantams, calves and other animals and fowl where they can easily be seen by children. The top level pens are used for newly born lambs and their mothers.
The STABLES (No. 5) date from the nineteenth century and were occupied by the farm horses, having five stalls and three loose boxes. Like the other buildings the stables were also made use of in recent times and were converted into farrowing pens for sows. You may see some pigs in them again today.
The PAY HOUSE (No. 3) is one of the earlier buildings, the Gothic windows being added in about 1840. It has not been altered and has been restored using the original small slates attached by a single wooden peg. In it you can see wages books going back a hundred years and listing up to forty workers showing work done and wages paid.
Most of the old buildings, though altered internally, appear as they were originally built and it is fascinating to think that Arthur Young wandered among them over two hundred years ago. It is a piece of living history, made more and not less alive by the fact that the buildings were adapted to modern use and include a late twentieth century barn.