Wiltshire Archaeological & Natural History Magazine, vol. 97 (2004), pp. 211-217 
Recent work at Barton Grange Farm, Bradford-on- 
Avon, Wiltshire, 1998-2003 
by Michael Heaton' and William Moffatt’ 
Excavations in advance of the rebuilding of the West Barn at Barton Grange, Bradford-on-Avon (damaged by fire in 
1982), revealed a sequence of archaeolgical layers earlier than the barn’s construction date of 1769, and probably 
extending back to a period contemporary with or earlier than the building of the adjacent medieval tithe barn. 
INTRODUCTION 
The Site 
Bradford-on-Avon is situated on a bend of the 
(Bristol) River Avon, within the Corallian ridge of 
Jurassic limestones at the south-west periphery of 
the Cotswold Hills, 6km south-east of Bath, in West 
Wiltshire. Barton Grange Farm lies on the south- 
west edge of the town, on the Avon floodplain, at 
NGR ST 8230 6047, and comprises buildings 
grouped around a large open courtyard, with the 
Great Tithe Barn defining the southern edge of the 
yard, and the House, the north. 
The works comprised the rebuilding of the 
West Barn; stabilisation of the walls at the north- 
east corner of the Stack Yard; excavation of four 
new service trenches (A-D) across the ‘Stack yard’ 
and along the access road; and excavation of 
footings for a new boundary wall north of the 
Granary. Detailed descriptions of the ‘standing? 
components of the site have been included within 
reports submitted to English Heritage and the 
-County SMR. The following concerns only the 
‘below ground’ deposits pertinent to the 
archaeology of the West Barn. The extent of 
archaeological observations and structures affected 
by the works is indicated on Figure 1, and detailed 
plans and cross-sections of the West Barn are 
presented on Figures 2 and 3. 
Archaeological Background 
The archaeological background has _ been 
summarised by Haslam (1976; 1984). Academic 
interest in the farm complex has _ historically 
focused on the Great Tithe Barn, with the adjacent 
buildings within the group being afforded ‘Listed 
Building’ status by virtue of their ‘group value’. 
Despite the existence of a 1769 date stone in its east 
elevation, the 1974 ‘Listing Schedule’ for the West 
Barn describes it as: 
Probably Cl4th, or possibly later. Considerably 
altered. Single storey. Coursed rubble. Ashlar quoins. 
Modern pantile roof. Stone gable-ends with cappings 
and saddle-stones. Square-headed opening in east 
gable wall with timber lintel. Assortment of windows 
on north side. Plain queen-post roof, probably C19th. 
Included for group value. 
The West Barn attracted academic interest, 
ironically, after a fire in 1982 which destroyed the 
roof. Base crucks in the long side walls, observed 
archaeologically for the first time, indicated that 
part of the building was of a potentially earlier date. 
Subsequent excavations (Haslam, 1984) identified 
masonry outside and inside the West Barn that the 
excavator concluded were the footprint — possibly a 
cart porch — of an earlier and larger building. 
Despite Haslam’s appeals, the building was allowed 
to deteriorate. By 1989 Jeremy Lake, in his study of 
' ASI, Furlong House, 61 East Street, Warminster, BA12 9BZ ?25 The Hollow, Lower Woodford, Salisbury SP4 6NJ 
