Buildings Recording And Investigation at Ovington Hall, Church Lane, Ovington

The building recording survey took place in June 2022. Existing survey drawings of the floor plans, sections, and elevations of the Grade II listed barns were prepared by Nick Peasland Architectural Services Ltd in advance of the Planning and Listed Building applications. These drawings will be presented in Appendix 1. For the purposes of the Level 3 historic building recording survey drawings were overlaid with information to illustrate features of significance to the development of the Heritage Assets and their character. Where required current floor plans, long and transverse sections will be completed at a scale of 1:100 using the Historic England drawing conventions. The floor plans will depict positions of doors, framing including studs and rafters, windows, internal partitions, stairs, bay divisions/truss positions, fixtures, and fittings plus later additions and evidence of phasing. A Heritage Statement was carried out by NJHBC (Appendix 3). The Heritage Statement included a cartographical regression study and documentary research to illustrate the historical development of the buildings complex and place the history of the site within its immediate local context. These documents were used to inform on-site observations and off-site conclusions. Comprehensive photography was used during the building recording survey. Photographs were taken for recording purposes and off-site analysis. The photographic record is accompanied by a photographic register detailing the location and direction of views. General photographic views of all non-designated heritage assets and other farm buildings associated with the farmyard will be included in the photographic record of the report. For clarity, all relevant timbers, bays, and trusses were assigned a specific code for identification and location purposes. The main body of the reports consists of a descriptive record of the exteriors and interiors of the designated Heritage Assets, as well as an analytical record of the design and purpose of the buildings as well as features of interest within the buildings. The complex of agricultural buildings was built between 1867 and 1876. The farmstead was redeveloped during the final period of model farm development which dates between 1870 to 1914. During the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the conscious planning and design of farm buildings produced a new generation of farmsteads, termed planned or model farmsteads, which were noted at the time as being innovative and developmental. The significance of these farmsteads to the development of farmsteads during both the Agrarian (1750-1830) and Industrial (1830-1870) phases of the Agricultural Revolution is now recognised. Only three agricultural buildings have survived but with the assistance of historic maps, the function of the buildings and inter-relationships between the group of buildings have been demonstrated as a planned or model farm development.