High Faverdale Farm, Burtree Garden Village, Darlington: archaeological building recording

The objective of the project was to provide a record of the building in its present state. A summary of the history of the area is provided as background information. The updated regional research framework North-East Regional Research Framework for the Historic Environment (NERRF 2.0) (https://researchframeworks.org/nerf/ accessed 08-02-2024) contains an agenda for archaeological research in the region. The scheme of works was designed to address agenda items: Pmed19: Industrialisation - intensification 1790-1830 MO1: What can archaeology tell us about the changes in agriculture in the 20th century? High Faverdale Farm was established in the early 19th century. It originally comprised a single range of buildings, with a stone-built threshing barn in the centre, an ancillary stone-built structure likely to be a granary to the east, and a brick structure (probably the farmhouse) at the west end. The survival of these original structures is very fragmentary, and none preserve any original features. The farm was rebuilt around the mid-19th century: this saw the original stone structures in the north range reconstructed in brick, with a brick byre constructed as an east range. Historic mapping shows that by this time these buildings were arranged around a central yard, and that an additional structure was located in the south-west corner. A garden lay on the east side of the farm, and an orchard is marked to the west. The farm is recorded as being 44 acres in size at this time and remained largely unaltered into the early 20th century. This period of stability is reflected by the fact that it was occupied by the Smith family throughout this period. The farm underwent a period of expansion between 1898 and 1915: this saw the addition of a second east range and the construction of a further range of buildings to the north. Both the east and west ends of the original north range were remodelled: this included reducing the size of the threshing barn by removal of the eastern wall, indicating it was no longer used for crop processing. The present farmhouse and associated outbuildings were constructed at this time. The house remains largely unchanged from its original design, retaining several original fireplaces as well as service bells and other details. It is likely that all of the access points to the farmyard from the original buildings in the north and east range were blocked up at this time to convert the yard to a garden. High Faverdale is recorded in 1939 as being a dairy farm. The farm survived in this new layout into the post-war period: the range of buildings to the north of the historic north range was demolished by the 1960s and replaced by large barns. The farmhouse remained occupied until January 2025.