Source/Archive record SCH8446 - Stretton Lower Hall Barns: Statement of Significance

A statement of significance, resulting from desk-based research, site visits and detailed photographic survey, was produced in 2014 for the barns at Stretton Lower Hall (MCH51), Stretton, Tilston, to inform a proposal for re-development of the site. Originally in single ownership, Stretton Lower Hall, which is Grade II listed, and the barns comprised a working farm from the late seventeenth century. The barns became redundant when the modern creamery, built in the 1980s, closed down. The hall is now a domestic residence and is in separate ownership. The barns are located to the north of the hall, they are configured in a U-plan arrangement with a central yard. They are rectilinear in footprint, vary in size, and range in date from the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries. The configuration of the group and its phased development tells the story of the evolution of dairy farming in Cheshire, illustrating how outbuildings were altered and extended to suit changing requirements. In terms of condition, at the time of the survey, barns 4 and 5 were incomplete, with only low level sections of walling remaining intact. The three main barns, 1, 2 and 3, form an L-shaped range, and although in dilapidated condition, with roof finishes missing and substantial cracking to the elevations, retained much of their original character. The barns are considered to have low significance when considered in isolation owing to their dilapidated condition, although barn 1 is considered more significant due to its late seventeenth century, timber-framed construction. In good condition they would positively contribute to the Conservation Area, also the setting of Lower Stretton Hall, with which they have a strong physical, visual and functional relationship.