Deep Clough Farm, Littledale, Caton, Lancashire- Building Investigation

Mr and Mrs Brown of Deep Clough Farm, Littledale, Caton in Lancashire, (SD 3581 4624) submitted a planning application (Planning Application 07/00432/CU and 07/00433/LB) to Lancaster City Council to develop and convert two barns on their land. As part of the planning procedure, the council consulted Lancashire County Archaeological Service, which recommended a building recording programme of English Heritage (2006) Level II/III standard. This was to include a rapid desk-based assessment, which would provide an historical background and detail any changes in the development of the farmstead. In addition, an detailed site investigation was to be undertaken, comprising written descriptions, as well an detailed photographic record, and site drawings of the floor plans and sections. Following these recommendations, Mr and Mrs Brown requested that Oxford Archaeology North (OA North) undertake the building investigation, which was duly completed from June-August 2007.
The background research revealed little textual evidence, but the cartographic sources provided a sequence of building from the mid-nineteenth century through to the early decades of the twentieth century. The research demonstrated that from 1843, the appearance of the barns seems to have changed very little. Indeed, the extension on the west elevation of Barn B had been constructed by this date. Only the outshut to the rear of Barn B, is clearly of a much later date.
The investigation confirmed the conclusions drawn from the cartographic sources, in regards to Barn B, as the building appears to date from the mid to late nineteenth century. However, Barn A appears to be of a much earlier date, potentially late seventeenth or early eighteenth century in origin. The roof of Barn A was clearly original, before it was removed due to its bad state of repair, whilst the roof of Barn B is very modern, although it appears to have retained its general shape and form.
The functions of the buildings would appear to have changed somewhat, having originally been conceived as threshing barns with space for limited livestock and hay storage. During the early part of the twentieth century, both buildings were probably converted to cow and/or milking sheds, and since the mid-twentieth century have been used for the housing of cattle and for the storage of farm machinery.