Building record 0633100000 - Stowe Home Farm, Stowe

The National Trust's Vernacular Buildings Suvey of the farm notes that little documentation for Home Farm exists in this country, although the archive of the Huntingdon Library in California contains accounts for the farm - a bill dated 1807 is for '1600 Countesses Slates in the Farm Yard £13 12s 0d'. The 1843 estate map shows the outline of each of the buildings on the farm. The survey also suggests that the buildings are likely to all have been built in one phase. They do not show any architectural pretensions and are entirely functional for managing the animals in the parklands and for supplying dairy products to the house. In the original building plan, the main entry to the complex was through the centre of the north range between the two blocks of stables - the carriage/riding stables in the east block and the cart stables in the west block. The west range contains two cow sheds, the north shed serving as a milking parlour, the south shed as an open fronted shelter possibly around two sides of a fold yard. The central opening between the two sheds provides access to the ground on the west side where there is a rick yard and the mill. Most of the south range was taken up by a barn used as a grain store and with large doors in the front and back wall to allow access to the south of the farm. The gap between the west wall of the barn and the east range was probably taken up by piggeries, the east range contained the cart sheds, the cottage and forge, and beyond the central passsage which is wide enough to allow horse to be brought through to the cart sheds. The farmhouse (about half the size it is now) occupied the angle between the east range and the north range. By 1881 the configuration of the yard conforms to much as you see it today. Individual buildings show evidence farm mechanisation, and later additions include hen houses (no longer in situ) in around 1900, outdoor privies for the cottage, a small conservatory between the farmhouse and the dairy range and a porch to the north cottage, and glasshouses. In 1922 when the estate was sold Home Farm was in the hands of J T Oxley who produced 'celebrated fat cattle and sheep'. The farm is described as a 'Well-known feeding farm' with an acreage of 323 acres, 39.5 of which are arable, and the sales particulars give a detailed listing and description of the buildings and their function. It was in the ownership of the Davis family until bought in 1996. The farm is now the headquarters building for the National Trust. The farm complex is now made up of 24 buildings: farmhouse, dairy and former estate office; east stables; west stables and cottage; north cow shed; south cow shed; barn and engine house; former carts sheds/piggeries; cart sheds, cottage, workshop, forge, garage, privies and shed; east cow shed; loose boxes; rear cow sheds; south-west corner yard; south west shelter; north dutch barn; west dutch barn; north and south catttle shelters; south Dutch barn; and south shelter. The farm's land holdings include 323 acres of pasture much forming the parland to the north of Stowe Gardens, and including Wolfe's Obelisk, the Gothic Umbrello, the water-powered sawmill and electricity generator (B1).
Dendro-dating obtains felling range of 1786-1806 for timbers of barn (B3).
Brief description in c1862 (B4).