A New Season for the Farm
An exploration of the architectural character and enduring use of buildings on the English farmstead.
Coloured General Arrangements of Farm Building at Stocks Farm, Privett, Hampshire (1908) by Stedman, AJThe Blower Foundation
An architectural ensemble
Beyond fields and pastures, the buildings that shape a farm's architectural identity tell the ongoing stories of rural English life. From cowsheds and piggeries to farmhouses and barns, they form an ensemble defined by agricultural function and seasonal use.
Black and White Photograph of a Farmhouse, Runfold, Surrey (1940) by Stedman BlowerThe Blower Foundation
The farmhouse
Farm layouts vary, with courtyard plans gathering working buildings around a central yard while dispersed forms spread buildings along tracks. A common denominator, however, was the farmhouse. Its position provided the farmer with direct access and oversight of the farm.
Coloured General Arrangements of Proposed Cowstalls at Manor Farm, Tongham, Surrey (1908) by Stedman, AJThe Blower Foundation
Cowsheds: home for the herd
Valued not only for their produce but also for manure and motive power, livestock were central to farm life. Cowsheds protected cattle from weather and disease and, from the nineteenth century onwards, improved drainage, ventilation and feeding reflected wider agricultural reform.
Image of West Elevation of Cowstalls with Drawing and Photograph, Tongham, Surrey (2026) by Stedman BlowerThe Blower Foundation
Entrances to cowsheds were practical and direct, with wide doors for cattle and smaller openings for workers. This elevation illustrates not only the building’s functional design, but also the continued use of the widened entrance.
Architectural Blueprint of Tying Stall Details at Plain Farm, East Tisted, Hampshire (1932) by Stedman, AJThe Blower Foundation
Inside the cowsheds
The double chain tying stall positioned the cows between kerb and manger, with gutters directing waste away. Concrete stalls, metal windows, and industrial fittings reflected nineteenth century reform, revealing a cowshed designed for hygiene and labour efficiency.
Early dairies were usually positioned at the rear of the farmhouse, as seen at Stocks Farm, and used for making butter and cheese, as well as cooling milk. From the 1880s, growing demand for fresh milk, butter and cheese prompted the construction of purpose-built dairies, exemplified by Plain Farm.
Coloured Illustration of Interior Pig Pens at Coxbridge Farm, Farnham, Surrey (1993) by Blower, MThe Blower Foundation
Piggeries: housing the hogs
Pigsties were common on most farms, especially dairying establishments where whey, a by-product from cheese making, provided feed. Early timber pens that were initially small and adjacent to the kitchen or dairy later gave way to formalised brick ranges as dairy production intensified.
Architectural Drawing of Piggery General Arrangements at Clear Barn Farm, Puttenham, Surrey (1940) by Stedman, AJ & LRThe Blower Foundation
Larger piggeries emerged on commercial farms, particularly in the inter-war period, when imported feed supported expansion. Scandinavian-inspired layouts introduced central feeding passages, concrete floors, and defined pens, with ventilators and air ducts improving airflow and hygiene.
Coloured General Arrangements of Farm Buildings at Clear Barn Farm, Puttenham, Surrey (1940) by Stedman, AJ & LRThe Blower Foundation
Barns: backbone of the farm
Barns were the earliest and arguably most important building on a farmstead, their expansive structures serving multiple purposes. They stored and processed harvested crops as well as sheltering livestock and equipment.
Digital Photograph of the Barns at Clear Barn Farm, Puttenham, Surrey (2026) by Stedman BlowerThe Blower Foundation
This image shows the same, slightly altered, barn seen in the previous drawings. These functional buildings were often extended with lean-tos, single-pitched roof additions that increased a barn's capacity. Here, a simple lean-to provides shelter for goats.
Coloured General Arrangements of Farm Buildings at Clear Barn Farm, Puttenham, Surrey (1940) by Stedman, AJ & LRThe Blower Foundation
Granaries: feeding the farm
Granaries stored threshed grain in dry, secure conditions, often raised above the ground to prevent damp and vermin. Preserved for sale, seed or animal feed, grain was integral to the operation of the farm.
Granaries were often paired with tractor sheds which provided flexible space for vehicles and tool storage. At the former Clear Barn Farm, now Wildcroft Dairy, these buildings have adapted in use to meet the changing demands of modern agriculture, while their structures remain largely unaltered in form.
Digital Photograph of Barn at Clear Barn Farm, Puttenham, Surrey (2026) by Stedman BlowerThe Blower Foundation
Weathered and working
Despite widespread redundancy among historic farm buildings, some are sustained through active agricultural use. This ivy-clad barn at Wildcroft Dairy remains part of a working farmstead, illustrating how continued use supports the survival of historic structures.
Image of South Elevation of Cowstalls with Drawing and Photograph, Tongham, Surrey (2026) by Stedman BlowerThe Blower Foundation
Renewed and reused
With fewer traditional farmsteads sustained by agriculture alone, adaptation has become essential. This former cowshed at the Hogs Back Brewery, now a butchery and gym space, demonstrates how farm buildings can be repurposed yet retain their rural character and contribution to local economies.
Coloured Sketch of an Aerial View of Badshot Farm, Farnham, Surrey (1993) by Blower, MThe Blower Foundation
Framing the future
Timber-framed barn renovations, such as these at Badshot Farm, demonstrate how farm buildings can evolve through new uses. Contributing to rural character and continuity of place, reworking these heritage assets continues the story of the English farmstead.
With thanks to the Hogs Back Brewery and Wildcroft Dairy.
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