Archaeological Building Recording Level 2 - White Moss, Skelmersdale

Drawn Record, Photographic Record, Historical Research It does appear from the research undertaken for this report, that the farmhouse and barn date from either the late 18th century or the early 19th century. The Tithe map (Fig.4) and the apportionments show that in 1839 the farm was tenanted by James Holland, and the land, was owned by Sarah Watson, and it is assumed that Sarah was a direct descendant of Thomas Watson who owned the land in 1779. The physical evidence of the early plan form of the farmhouse has been all but removed through subsequent alterations. The remains of an internal cross wall may indicate that the farmhouse was subdivided into two separate dwellings. The field boundaries on the maps from the early 20th century do seem to demarcate two separate areas to the front of the building. However, it is more likely that the divisions in the field boundaries separated the barn the farmhouse garden to the east, and farmhouse had a through passage with rooms either side heated by a central chimney stack and one in the east gable. The barn has also undergone alterations, including a new roof and blocking of internal openings. There is no evidence within the barn, of empty mortise to indicate the presence of a first-floor, and the single skin construction of the eastern half of the north wall suggests that there may have been a large opposing cart entry on this side of the building. Large opposing doors and internal stone flagging within barns are indicative of threshing. The tithe apportionments from the 18th century, however, indicated that much of the surrounding land was pasture and that the arable land was only being used to cultivate hay, which may have facilitated a change in the use of the barn. The presence of breathers in the barn does indicate that it was used for storing crops their blocking, however, in the north wall heralds a change from crop storage to a multifunctional space. The map evidence seems to suggest that the single-storey stable block attached to the west end of the barn was probably constructed in the late 1950s.