What is a stelp farmhouse?
A stelp (Frisian stjelp, also stelpboerderij) is a farmhouse type from the Dutch province of Friesland in which the living quarters and the farm building sit together under one large roof on a rectangular plan. The house lies directly behind the front elevation, with the cow stalls and hay storage behind it. In English terms it is a type of longhouse or “house-barn”. From outside you can often still tell the two parts apart: Dutch listed-building descriptions mention, for example, black glazed pantiles over the house and red unglazed pantiles over the barn, under a hipped roof.
How it differs from other Dutch types
The older Frisian head-neck-body farmhouse is a row of separate volumes: house, linking section and barn. The stelp brings everything under one roof, which was simpler and cheaper to build. It is related to the North Holland stolp, which has a square plan and a pyramid roof. The stelp is longer, so it has an ordinary hipped roof.
| Frisian head-neck-body farmhouse | A row of separate volumes: house, linking section and barn |
|---|---|
| Stelp (Friesland) | House and farm building under one large roof on a rectangular plan, with an ordinary hipped roof |
| Stolp (North Holland) | Square plan with a pyramid roof |
During the 19th century the stelp became the most common farmhouse type in Friesland, and many were still built in the early 20th century. It also occurs in the north of Overijssel and the north of Groningen province.
Application
- Read the layout. If you buy or convert one, knowing where the house, milk cellar and stalls were explains wall thicknesses and changes in floor level.
- Check the protection status. Many stelpen are listed buildings in the Netherlands. Ask the municipality before making plans.
- Keep the timber frame. The internal timber bents carry the large roof. Only alter posts or braces after a structural engineer’s calculation.
- Respect the roof plane. New dormers or insulation on top of the rafters change both loads and appearance.
Common mistake: re-roofing the whole building in one tile colour. The change of roof covering between house and barn is characteristic and often protected on listed farms.
Related terms
- Farmhouse
- Head-neck-body farmhouse
- Head-body farmhouse
- Oldambtster farmhouse
- Longhouse farmhouse
- Hip roof
Want to know more about building terms? Visit our knowledge base at fredsdiyplans.com.