| Description | Small scale research/training excavations of both former horse engine house and threshing barn located to the north of Austhorpe Hall.
In August 2005 the East Leeds History and Archaeology Society (ELHAS) carried out an excavation on the site of a former 19th century horse engine house at Austhorpe Hall. The site lies in a field currently under pasture, and consists of surviving earthwork remains. It is known from documentary sources to at least date to the 1820s (auction list from 1826) and stood until the early 20th century. When extant it was attached to the north side of a (now partially demolished) barn.
The excavation, which covered an area of 73m² did confirm the existence of the engine house, containing a central stone feature surrounding the central column. This is unusual in comparison with other horse engine houses across England. For further detail please see the final report (ELHAS, 2006)
During 2006 and 2007 a second excavation by ELHAS was undertaken, this time focussing on the partially demolished barn, which would have been formerly attached to the horse engine house excavated the previous year. Although, like with the engine house, documentary sources for the existence of the barn only go back to the 1820s, it is likely that the barn predates this (stone barns were built in the area of Austhorpe from the mid 17th century onwards), and was probably originally built without the attached engine house.
The excavation revealed remains of the north and west exterior walls of the building. The north barn wall had a total length of 16.1m, however the excavations concentrated on its western end. In 2006 a length of 1.5m of the northern exterior face of the wall was exposed and recorded, whilst in 2007 a length of the southern interior face of the north wall was exposed, measuring 2.8m from the western end wall. These excavations revealed the height of the wall from its base to the turf covering to be 1.21m. The wall was constructed of sandstone and limestone, and was of double thickness with an infill of small stones. The west barn wall was excavated to a length of 5.45m; the full length of the wall could not be exposed as it rang under a hedge. Once again, the wall was built of sandstone and limestone, and was of double thickness. It is thought that the barn was originally used as a threshing barn (ELHAS, 2009). |