Listed Building record MDR16061 - North Wing of Dalley Farm, Ashbourne Road (A517), Belper

North wing of Dalley Farm, Ashbourne Road (A517), Belper, a 17th century building with possible 16th century origin. The northeastern range of farm buildings at Dalley Farm are a Grade II* L-shaped range of early and later 19th century buildings constructed from ashlar with slate roofs. The northern building is a hay barn that has an open front with the roof supported on a pierced shallow arched iron beam and iron posts with the ironwork dated 1867. The corner building is an open fronted cart shed with a double row of vents in the south wall that suggest it may also have been intended for storage. The north end of the roof is supported on a stone corbel, the south end wall is cut away providing an open corner for better access with the overhanging roof here supported on a massive iron bracket. To the east and adjoining the rear wall of the cartshed is a shelter shed at a lower level due to the sloping ground. This has an arcaded front with stone pillars and corbels. The end bays are now partly filled in by low stone walls. (1) With respect to the whole model farm: Dalley Farm farmstead lies close to Crossroads and though it was constructed predominantly early in the 19th century it was created from an existing 17th century building. The farm was not in Strutt ownership in 1819. The farm contains numerous features of design and construction which are characteristic of the Strutt model farms: the stone vaulted ceilings and flag floors for fire protection; the systems for moving feed stores to feed mixing; the iron roof supports and the unique range for housing wet grain. The building complex planned around two yards with an L-shaped group to the north east is for the most part constructed of stone with slate roofs. The L-shaped group consists of a four bay shelter shed with a flagged floor opening onto a yard. Stone pillars with cushion capitals support the roof. One central pillar supports the ridge. The west-facing range comprises a hay house open to the west and a four-bay hay barn with an open front supported on a pierced shallow-arched iron beam with iron posts dating from 1876. The north-south range comprises a threshing barn with a wooden threshing floor and straw barn above, a wet grain store with some brick construction and a cow byre with six feeding hatches into the feeding passage. To the north there is a three-storey block under east-west facing gables, containing mixing rooms below and a feed store above. The ceiling is stone vaulted and the ground and first floors are flagged. Round holes in the floor with metal trap doors allow feed to be dropped through to the mixing room. One of these holes is over a stone mixing trough in the angle between the east-west range of cow-sheds dividing the yard. The roof is supported on semi-circular arches by cruciform-section iron pillars. The later brick-built wet grain store contains nine feed bins for the storage of wet grains for cattle feed with nine stone-framed pitching holes to the east and west allowing for the delivery of grain and wide, iron-framed, openings onto a passage allowing for shovelling out. The northern cow-house has stone gables and brick south wall and features a mixture of small original metal windows and later larger ones which cut through the rows of ventilation slits. Iron cruciform-section pillars support the roof of the hay house. Another cow-house divides the north and south yard and abuts the ashlar carriage entry that links the house to the farm buildings. This carriage entry is of buff-coloured stone rather than the original pink stone and is a later insertion to increase the status of the building. A further cow house which forms the east side of the northern yard is built of brick with a walkway supported on brick and stone columns. (2-4) By 1826 the Strutts owned a large amount of land in and around Belper, including at least four farms. The layout of these farmsteads owed less to conventional pattern books than an understanding of the work flows of factories. The most impressive surviving examples are Moscow Farm (now converted into houses), Crossroads Farm, Wyver Farm and Dalley Farm. They all contain the same innovative features which so interested the Strutts in their factory design, ventilation ducts, iron framing, stone floors and vaulting for fire proofing. The lack of symmetrical formal layout does not detract from the 'planned' nature of the farms, but rather increases the interest of these innovative designs. Dalley Farm was probably built in the 1830s. Arrangements include inclined walkways for barrowing feed and a mixing room below a feed store with cylindrical chutes through the floor to deliver food to mixing troughs. The roofs are supported by iron trusses and the ceilings between floors are vaulted. The buildings are well ventilated using cast-iron ventilation grills. (2-4) From the National Heritage List for England: 'SK 34 NW ASHBOURNE ROAD (North side) 950/7/251 North wing of Dalley 30.12.1979 Farmhouse GV II* Said to have been originally a shepherds cottage of late C16 date, but the earliest visible part of the existing cottage (forming the rear northern wing of the present farmhouse) is of C17 date. Main eastern facade coursed stone with old slate roof and off centre stack. Two storeys. Two windows, 2-light unbarred sashes, off centre 6 panelled door, the top 2 panels now glazed. Extends into south part of adjoining entrance range. Two ground floor windows in this part. Rear extends into C19 red brick 2-storey range, said to have been a former 'stocking factory'. Three windows at 1st floor, iron casements with centre opening lights. Ground floor has outshut in front with 2 similar windows. INTERIOR: The oldest part of the house has exposed ceiling beams and stone fireplace. Former 1st floor end mullioned window now replaced by door. C19 part has remnants of metal brackets possibly associated with stocking frames. Kitchen here has baking oven with separate chimney, and iron framed ceiling of stone slabs. Listing NGR: SK3368248096.' (1)