Oddendale Hall Farm, Oddendale, near Shap, Cumbria: Heritage Assessment

Following a pre-application enquiry regarding the proposed redevelopment of a group of buildings at Oddendale Hall Farm, Oddendale, near Shap, Cumbria, Greenlane Archaeology was commissioned to carry out a heritage assessment of the site for inclusion with the planning application. This was intended to establish at an early stage whether the buildings were likely to have any archaeological interest and to assess the manner in which the buildings have developed. The work was carried out in May 2017.

The site comprises four separate blocks of buildings, numbered 2 to 6, to the east side of Oddendale, which is first recorded in the 13th century and is an area rich in archaeological remains from the prehistoric period onwards. Three buildings in Oddendale are Grade II Listed and as such are considered of at least local importance, including Building 3. The other buildings are undesignated but are to be considered of local interest as they retain much of their original fabric. Elements of each of the buildings are shown on the tithe map, dated 1842, and each building saw additions during the 19th century and in some cases the 20th century as well. Some of these phases of development can be closely dated from the available mapping evidence and an outline of the history of the site is provided here together with some consideration of the original use of some of the buildings. An early emphasis on arable farming with a shift towards cattle farming during the 19th century is typical across the region and appears to be in evidence here.

The available documentary evidence demonstrates that while there is extensive evidence for human activity in the wider area, the buildings subject to the assessment are most likely post-medieval in origin, although they are difficult to trace in the available documentary sources. However, the available map evidence suggests that they existed by at least the end of the 18th century and they were certainly present by the middle of the 19th century. The tithe apportionment shows that they were all owned by a Thomas Gibson and occupied by a George Porter (or more likely Potter), both of whom can be identified in the later 19th century directories.

The full report will be made available on the Archaeology Data Service website.