This small shed was built close to the farmyard to house carts and wagons needed on the farm. It probably dates from the 18th century.
In most farmsteads the wagon shed will be found either outside the yard or facing outwards from the buildings arranged round its perimeter. Many wagon sheds are simply open-fronted buildings — similar to shelter sheds for cattle, but recognisable because they face outwards from the yard.
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Overview
Dates From
18th century
Dismantled
1976
Reconstructed
1980
Original Location
Wiston, Sussex
History
Background Information
Other wagon sheds, like this example from Wiston, are closed on one or both sides but open at both ends. Generally this allows a wagon to be drawn in and out without reversing, but the Wiston shed was built on steeply rising ground and could only be entered from one end.
The wagon shed from Wiston on its original site before being dismantled.
A third type of wagon shed consists of a two storey building, providing an open ground floor for wagons and a first floor granary reached by an outside staircase.
The Wiston wagon shed is a very simple, traditional building, framed in oak and with a tiled roof. It is almost identical to one on another farmstead on the Wiston estate, possibly built by the same carpenter. It probably dates from the 18th century.
Top 3 Interesting Facts
Isolated Location
Originally built in the 18th century as a three bay shed, it stood separate from the main farmstead.
Building Function
The building may have been used as both a cart and wagon shed, as well as machinery store and saw-shed.
Old Café Servery
For a long time the building stood as the café servery, until it moved to a new location near May Day barn.
