Earlier this year Archaeological Research Services Ltd undertook a building recording of a barn in the Derbyshire Peak District at Brookside Farm, Wardlow. The barn is a two-storey farm building with a lean-to extension constructed of rubble limestone, situated within the south-west extent of the farm. The building was constructed in three main phases and appears to have served a number of functions for the farm.
The first phase relates to a two-storey structure, likely dating to the early 19th century. This was a multi-functional building, which may have been used as stables on the ground floor, evidenced by the presence of a hook fixture, and a grain store on the first floor as demonstrated by a blocked ventilation slit and the external staircase. More recently the ground floor was used as a chicken coop. A portion of the lean-to was then constructed between 1880 and 1890, and this was further extended in the mid-20th century. The lean-to had likely functioned as a shelter shed for cattle. Alterations occurred to this building within the mid-20th century, including the installation of a scratched concrete floor and ceramic mangers in a concrete mould. These alterations were likely associated with the changes in hygiene law for cattle housing introduced during the 20th century, which caused many such amendments to farm buildings. The phasing of the building over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries reflects changes in farming practices and the importance of recording farm buildings in advance of their conversion for alternative uses.