Skipbridge Farm, Darlington: archaeological building recording

The recording work will be in line with Level 2, as defined in national guidance (English Heritage 2016). Each of the early buildings (outlined in Figure 2) will be examined. A series of general and detail photographs will be taken to show their external and internal form and arrangement, their site and situation, and their relationship to their surroundings. The record will include " general views of the site prior to removal of any buildings, including the relationship with the later buildings on the farm " the overall appearance of all surviving early buildings " detailed coverage of the external appearance of each building " general internal views (all internal recording will be subject to safe access being feasible) " internal structural details " any details, structural or decorative, that are relevant to the design, development and use of the buildings, and that do not show adequately on the general photographs " overall coverage of the modern buildings Documentary evidence indicates there was a farm at Skipbridge in 1756. No buildings dating to this period survive. The earliest farm buildings date to the early- to mid-19th century. These comprise the farmhouse, the threshing barn, a stable and the eastern hemmel. Historic mapping shows that this original hemmel was part of a small complex of buildings to the south-west of the farmhouse, and that a gin gang stood on the north side of the threshing barn. Both the historical record and the south face of the building indicate that the farmhouse was often occupied by two families. This may indicate that the farm operations were divided into arable and pastoral. The farm was remodelled in the second half of the 19th century. This initially involved the construction of a western hemmel to the south-west of the threshing barn: this formed a yard defined on its east side by the existing stable. By the end of the 19th century, the yard had been roofed over. Historic mapping also shows that the gin gang had been demolished by this time. The farmhouse returned to single occupancy in the early 20th century, and around the same time the small complex of farm buildings to the south of the eastern hemmel was demolished, with access to the hemmel switched to the north face. Further additions to the farm were the construction of the Dutch barn and the addition of two small outbuildings against the north face of the threshing barn, and in the post-War period the construction of the calf shed.