Update on the ruined cottage at Barley

[Greensleeves]

Those stones forming the door jambs look very substantial and I was wondering if they were recycled from somewhere else during the original build, as they seem out of proportion to the size of the building.  Were there any dissolved monasteries or other ecclesiastical buildings in the area?

I do envy you your proximity to this place, Maggie; must be really fascinating.

[Maggie.]

You are absolutely correct, GS in that many of the stone features seem out of place in the cottage and also much of the exterior walling looked to be of a mixture of stone.

There are no records of a monastery particularly nearby, the nearest being at Whalley some 10 miles away and this was indeed demolished by Henry VIII for the part its abbot played in The Pilgrimage of Grace.  There are various bits of stained glass visible in the windows of certainly one farmhouse I know and the suggestion is that this glass is from Whalley Abbey.  Also there is a round stone water trough in a field nearby that looks the correct shape for a font, which raises the question of where it came from.

[Maggie.]

You are absolutely correct, GS in that many of the stone features seem out of place in the cottage and also much of the exterior walling looks to be of a mixture of stone.

There are no records of a monastery being particularly close, the nearest being at Whalley some 10 miles away and this was indeed demolished by Henry VIII for the part its abbot played in The Pilgrimage of Grace.  There are various bits of stained glass visible in the windows of certainly one farmhouse I know and the suggestion is that this glass is from Whalley Abbey.  Also there is a round stone water trough in a field nearby that looks the correct shape for a font, which raises the question of where it came from.

However the 'experts' do say that the style of the stonework is 17th century.

[Wiggy]

Just place marking this interesting thread! 

[Maggie.]

Remember the mummified cat of the sensational media reporting?  This photo is of where the cat was discovered.  It was in a bricked up doorway between 2 rooms and had been purposefully positioned at shoulder height.  It was not mummified, it was a complete skeleton and our expert could offer no explanation as to why it had been put there, however it was a Victorian cat.

It seems the doorway had been blocked up because the back room had fallen into ruin so the occupants of the time were probably not using the room.

[Greensleeves]

There seems to be a substantial amount of dressed stone in the building, which in our area at any rate would be unusual for a modest cottage, and which would suggest re-use.  Presumably the landowner will be selling the stone once the cottage has been demolished; I imagine it would be worth a lot of money.  Certainly round here the cost of building stone (even the undressed variety) is fairly high.

[Maggie.]

GS - the cottage is owed by United Utilities - it lies between 2 reservoirs.  A lot of the stone ie. mullions from what apparently were large windows at the front of the property, have been pilfered since it was unearthed.  Apparently United Utilities intend to reuse a lot of the stone in retaining walls and the rest will be contoured into the slope of the land and buried.

[Maggie.]

This pic shows the lie of the surrounding land.  The wall on the skyline is the upper reservoir wall and the grassed area to the left of where the yellow jacketed man is standing is the run-off area should the reservoir overflow.  Without extra construction works it is felt that should there be a serious flood, the flood water would go in the opposite direction and flood the village.  Serious flooding of this magnitude has happened in the past - the last time in 1967.

Hence the cottage has to go 

[bishenbertie]

You are absolutely correct, GS in that many of the stone features seem out of place in the cottage and also much of the exterior walling looked to be of a mixture of stone.

There are no records of a monastery particularly nearby, the nearest being at Whalley some 10 miles away and this was indeed demolished by Henry VIII for the part it's abbot played in The Pilgrimage of Grace.  There are various bits of stained glass visible in the windows of certainly one farmhouse I know and the suggestion is that this glass is from Whalley Abbey.  Also there is a round stone water trough in a field nearby that looks the correct shape for a font, which raises the question of where it came from.

Do you have a photo of the round stone water trough in the nearby field?