For the construction of a barn, where the primary function was to keep the crop dry but to let in plenty of fresh air, undaubed wattle was often used.
Oak-framed barns with wattle panels were common in east Wales until about the eighteenth century, after which good quality timber became scarce and the use of stone became an alternative.
A common problem with timber-framed barns was the deterioration of the gable ends, constantly exposed to the weather, and many gables were indeed eventually rebuilt in stone.
The traditional layout of a corn barn consisited of a central threshing floor with two high doorways at either side facing each other.
These openings let in plenty of light to assist the work of the threshers, fresh air and the draught necessary to winnow in the barn.
In bad weather during the harvest, carts could be brought in overnight and unloaded the following day.
Most barns had two bays on either side of the threshing floor. Sometimes, as at The Croft, one bay would be lofted and used for keeping straw.
A low partition would serve to separate sheep at shearing time, when the barn would be almost empty.