Building record MDR13144 - Cruck barn, Beech Farm, Wheatcroft Lane, Wheatcroft, Crich

A grade II listed cruck barn dating to the 17th century. It is built of coursed rubble gritstone with quoins to the north end, and has a plain tiled roof with stone slated eaves. It is of a single storey, three bays, with a single doorway to the south end bay, and a blocked former doorway immediately to the north of the existing opening, with a fixed light window. Inside, there are three cruck trusses; those blades to the east side are now embedded in stone walls. There are collars and yokes to the trusses, which support single butt purlins on the backs of the crucks, and two trusses have added bearer timbers to support the purlins. Thin, slightly curved wind braces survive on one side of each of two trusses. The cruck blades have halvings for either tie beams or spurs, which are now missing, but there are modern softwood spurs, and sawn rafters. There is an opening in the north gable supported by a rough relieving arch above a plain timber lintel. It has plain planked doors. (1)