Buildings at East Field House, Mickleton, County Durham: archaeological building recording (OASIS ID: archaeol3-371646)
Archaeological Services Durham University, 2019. https://doi.org/10.5284/1058993. How to cite using this DOI
Data copyright © Archaeological Services Durham University unless otherwise stated
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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Archaeological Services Durham University
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Resource identifiers
- ADS Collection: 3618
- DOI:https://doi.org/10.5284/1058993
- How to cite using this DOI
Introduction
This archive presents the results of an archaeological recording project conducted in advance of works at East Field House, Mickleton, Co Durham. A photographic survey of four disused farm buildings has been carried out.
The works were commissioned by John & Vivienne Bussey and conducted by Archaeological Services Durham University.
The buildings at East Field House are typical of their area and date. They were probably built in the later 18th century and have been significantly altered since then. Buildings 1 and 2 were cow houses and feed stores and the smaller building 4 may originally have served the same purpose. There are no signs of other agricultural activities such as crop processing, threshing or grain storage; this reflects the generally pastoral nature of farming in this part of Teesdale.
The alterations to building 1, specifically the insertion of fairly large first-floor windows on the south face, are difficult to explain. These would have been unsuitable for a hay store and would have been close to the floor; there is room for another floor, albeit little more than a loft, above it but no signs of any such structure can be seen today.
After a long period of disuse resulting from changes in farming practice, the buildings had fallen into disrepair. Re-roofing and other work on building 1 has secured the fabric for the future; building 2 remains vulnerable because it is no longer roofed. Little original fabric remains in building 4. Building 5 is intact and in a sound condition.
