The Barn
Pledgdon Barn is a bewitching beamed Tudor barn that dates back to 1548 and located in the beautiful Essex countryside.
About Ancient Pledgdon Barn
Since the 9th Century, there has been a property on the land here, the road outside having once been the main route to Bury St. Edmonds.
Pledgdon Barn is thought to have been built around 1550. Pledgdon Hall next door, would then have comprised one large main room with a gallery at one end for a sleeping area, a dirt floor and a hole in a thatched roof for smoke to escape.
Almost all the wood in the barn is elm, not oak. If you look at the big upright beams at intervals either side of what is now the main isle, notice that the elm trees were turned upside down with the big end of the trunk at the top, allowing mortices to be made into the wood, without weakening it. These were all created with the wood laid flat on the ground and then pulled up into position.
The barn building fell into great disrepair and by 17th/18th century, much of it (including the thatched roof) had disappeared. A surge of agricultural development though ensured that the barn was repaired, with a new roof comprising of 70,000 tiles. One timber in the eves on the west side of the barn, near the far end, is Oregon Pine and that dates this repair to about 1800, when this wood was first imported from Vancouver. These sorts of barns with stone bases, are rare (especially this large) and the remaining few tend to all be in East Anglia. Now, Pledgdon Barn and its curtilage, is Grade II listed and is the subject of interest to historical societies.
Pledgdon Barn at War
Somewhat surprisingly, this area received more than its share of bombing – possibly due to a search light post being in the corner of the car park area. This vicinity is also on a direct flying line between Germany and Coventry. Indeed, it was the target of the first daylight inland raid of World War II with 60 bombs being dropped on the barn across the road, causing great fire, loss of life to 2 (including the farm’s foreman) and injury to others. There is still shrapnel imbedded in a wall of the main house, where the barn’s owner Jill Smith lives.
The Image above show Pledgdon Hall as it was in June 1922, which was the period where the Smith Family bought the farm.
From grain store to romantic wedding venue & now as Clifford´s Grocers and Pig Sty Tearoom
01
Original Use
The barn’s main purpose was storing and threshing wheat. The design had a high door in the front (to allow trolleys stacked high with crops to enter) and a low door at the back (for unloaded trolleys to leave). There were 2 other doors, east and west and a centre passage used for threshing the grain with the opened east/ west doors making use of the prevailing wind to aid the failing process. The barn would be filled high with grain – so much so that the small, high wooded door at the far end (now with a replica owl on it) allowed access for topping up the grain by hand. At the time, roofs were never insulated to allow air to circulate to keep the grain cool. However, in due course, this barn ceased to be a grain store and became used for stabling horses, sheltering cattle, during winter.
02
Early 20th Century
Farming methods changed little until the 20th Century. Bob Smith, recalled his father Bertie, returning from a 1935 trip to view ‘cutting edge’ piggeries in Denmark and then turning this barn into a piggery. Hence the Tearoom´s name, Pig Sty. The big upright beams on the side, were all cut through, to facilitate the making of stalls. The length of that wall was used for cleaning access and the barn centre was the feeding trough area. Bertie Smith (who survived typhoid as a baby), was also known for supplying Hayward’s Pickles with their cauliflowers and he was known as Cauliflower Smith – not to be confused with another local farmer, also Bert Smith – known as Sugar Beet Smith!
03
Post War
In 1948, the farm employed 44 people and that number gradually reduced to a single man now, supplemented by cooperative farming. In recent memory, over 20 different crops have been grown here, predominantly seeds: poppy, caraway, radish, sunflower, cress and coriander seeds. The latter 2 were considered to be the best in the world, with the caraway being exported to Poland and Russia for making into liqueur and the coriander being used by Essex man, Michael McDonald, who was a curry blender. Unfortunately, there was no Government grant towards these sorts of crops and the English weather always made their growth a gamble, so the farm eventually stopped producing them. Until then, this barn has been used, with a newly levelled floor and cleared interior, for storing the seeds, but instead it became a useful venue for local events. The seating was composed of straw bales, all of which had to be removed at the end of each event because of fire and insurance regulations. After that, a formal application was granted for functions to take place and Pledgdon Barn became licensed for civil ceremonies and holds weddings and events in this beautiful and historic location.
04
Clifford´s
In 2020, unfortunately for the previous incumbents, Covid 19 hit, and the wedding industry took a major hit in the extended lockdown period. Although they were planning to retire, they brought their plans forward and let their lease of Pledgdon Barn go. It was shortly after this that the agent, acting on behalf of the Smith family found Rob & Tina, discussed their plans for the Farm Shop & Tearoom with Jill (Bobs Widow) and their son John who were delighted with the plans, which would allow the public to continue to be able to enjoy the beautiful building which is Pledgdon Barn.