Blaze at historic Kingston Barn in Shoreham
Crews were called to Kingston Barn in St Julian's Lane.
The fire was on the ground floor and in the roof space and 20 per cent of the barn, which dates back to the 17th century, was damaged by fire.
The cause of the blaze is under investigation.
A spokesman for the fire service said: "Arson hasn't been ruled out but we're being open-minded about the cause."
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Hide AdNo-one was injured and the building is currently unoccupied.
It had been owned by Adur District Council.
The new owners wanted to demolish the barn and replace it with five two-bedroom townhouses with five car parking spaces. The scheme was refused at the end of June.
The plans received objections from The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, Shoreham College, the Shoreham Society - which also submitted a petition with nearly 700 signatures - and the Southwick Society.