Mantley Field Laithe
Historical Environment Record No:
MYD35307
Parish:
Malham
OS Grid Reference:
Dale:
Description
Mantley Field laithe MYD35307 (c) YDNPA, 2023
Mantley Field Laithe is a rare example of a dated eighteenth century field barn in the Dales. The stone lintel over the door to the left of the central wagon porch has the initials ‘I H’ and the date 1755. Stone-built field barns were an important part of the farming system at that time. Cattle, and the hay to feed them, were kept in the barn during the winter. In the spring, the manure was spread on the surrounding meadows. In the summer, the grass was cut, dried and stored in the barn as hay, ready to feed the cattle through the following winter.