Ushaw Home Farm Main Block And Wall Attached

ESH USHAW NZ 2143 14/30 Ushaw Home Farm Main Block and 17.1.67 wall attached (formerly listed as Farm buildings adjoining Ushaw Farm on the east)

GV II*

Planned farm main range, incorporating cowhouses, loose boxes and stables with lofts; and wall attached. 1851-2 by Joseph Hansom. Coursed squared sandstone with ashlar dressings; Welsh slate roof with yellow roll-moulded ridge tiles and stone gable copings. Sandstone rubble wall. E-plan. Gothic style.

Main block 3 storeys to front, 2 to rear, with front gables over end bays and projecting central bay; 7 bays between gables, 17 bays in all; 2-storey wings with 10 bays on inner returns; 2-bay returns to central projection. Chamfered flat-pointed arches over boarded doors and Dutch doors on ground floor; similar heads to small ground and first-floor windows; some paired; tall 2-centred-arched second-floor openings, partly blocked and partly louvred. Central gable has blocked boarded door in 2-centred arch on each floor, and smaller windows flanking, above and paired below the top door; pulley projects above top window. Vent slits on first floor of wings. Each wing has open arch adjacent to main block, leading to steps at left and ramp at right to higher rear ground level. Rear has wide cart entrances below loft openings.

High retaining wall curves through c.75° from left wing, the round-coped parapet forming round enclosure behind at higher level.

A well-planned layout originally, intended for milk cows on ground floor, fat cattle on second and haylofts above; turnips were rolled directly into cowhouse from chute (q.v.). in field behind.

Source: D. Milburn, A History of Ushaw College, Durham 1964.

Listing NGR: NZ2146743616