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Summary

Mid-late 19th century two-storey field barn, now a partial ruin, which almost certainly served as a hay barn for storing winter fodder. Upper floor may have been used as a hay loft. Known locally as The Coffin House, but no connection between the Lich Way could be established; the use of the name Coffins here pre-dates the records of the Lich Way.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses: none recorded

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• FIELD BARN (Built, XIX - 1849 AD (Between) to 1880 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

A building is depicted on the late 19th century historic map (but is not shown on the earlier Tithe Map).

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

Newman, P., 2022, An Archaeological Assessment of lands at Coffins, Peter Tavy, 7-9, Figs 6, 14-17 (Report - Assessment). SDV364930.

Field barn. This building stands centrally within the Middle Coffin fields (g on Fig. 5) at the intersection of three pre-existing field boundaries, with its entrances arranged so as to provide access to each of the separate enclosures. The barn, now roofless, is built from a variety of stone, including granite and killas, bonded with lime mortar and in places roughly pointed, including patchwork repairs on the exterior.
The two-storey building is rectangular in plan with tall gable ends on the east and west. The interior dimensions are 5.5m by 3.7m with walls of 0.5m thick. Both gables would have stood to a height of 4.9m, above the interior floor, but only 3.7m of the eastern exterior was exposed above ground, although the peak of this gable has now collapsed reducing that measurement somewhat. The north and south walls, although slightly degraded on their upper surface, are 3.2m high on the interior, though the exterior measurement varies due to undulations in the terrain. The floor is of cobblestones, mostly small pieces of granite, rammed into the subsoil and it has a slight downward slope from east to west, whilst both ground floor entrances are lined with granite flagstones.
A timber-floored upper storey, or hay loft, of which nothing now remains, was supported on eight joists extending between the interior of north and south walls, set into blind sockets approximately 2m above interior ground level. All eight of the sockets survive on the south wall (Fig. 6), but only five have survived on the north wall where collapse of the structure above the door has effaced them.
The building has two entrances, one each on the north and west walls, and a third smaller opening on the eastern gable, used for access to the upper storey hay loft. See report for full details. Survey drawings of the ruin included.
Known by its present owners as the Coffin House, this name is unlikely to have any connection with the Lich Way traditions attached to Coffin Wood. However, this name may be legitimately connected with the location within the lands of the farm holding called Coffins, as recorded in 1842. The building is not depicted on the Tithe map but first appears on the OS 1882 25-inch series, so it’s likely period of construction lies within the 40 years between those two dates.

Ordnance Survey, 2022, Mastermap 2022 (Cartographic). SDV364674.

Remains of building depicted on the modern mapping.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV8816 - Assessment of lands at Coffins, Peter Tavy

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