Marsh Farmhouse

Marsh Farmhouse is a timber-framed farmhouse dating from the 17th century, later encased in brick probably during the 18th and 19th centuries. It has a slate roof, now largely missing its coverings, and comprises two storeys.

The building has an irregular reverse L-shaped plan formed of a front range and rear range with a later infill extension, probably from the 18th century, to the north-west corner. Peg holes at the eastern end of the front range's rear wall suggest that the front range was originally truncated and formed a T-shaped plan with the rear range.

The exterior is timber-framed with small square framing and later brick nogging and encasing. The framing is visible externally to the rear range and north-east corner of the front range. Most window glazing and frames have been lost. The front range sits upon a stone plinth, which is visible internally to the rear wall where the timber frame's sill rests on the plinth.

The front (south) elevation has four bays. It is largely replaced in brick with some timbers visible at ground floor level internally. A slightly projecting, three course-deep brick band set between floor levels continues around the front range. An early 18th-century stone doorway with chamfered jambs is positioned to the far left of the ground floor. Its inscribed lintel, which has a slightly curved soffit, reads 'W I M 1707', probably erected when the elevation was replaced in brick. The door has been removed. Wide window openings exist to both floors of bays two and four; the opening to the ground floor of bay four retains a three-light casement frame. Windows to both floors of the centre bay are bricked up; that to the ground floor has a flat-arched brick lintel. Both side gable walls of the front range have timber-framed apexes, now rendered externally but visible internally, and bargeboards. The west gable end also has an end stack and a window to the ground floor left, whose frame and glazing are lost. The east gable end has a doorway to the ground floor right (door removed), a blocked-up window to the left, and a three-light window to the first floor centre. A large stack rises from the south-east corner of the front range. Two by four square timber-framing is visible to the eastern end of the front range's north wall, from which the rear range projects.

The east elevation features the east gable end of the front range to the far left, with a four-bay rear kitchen range set back to the right with visible square framing. A five-plank and batten door with strap hinges is present to the ground floor of bay two, and a multipaned casement window to the ground floor of bay three. A tall window opening with timber cross-frame, now lost, is located at the first floor of bay one, and a wide window opening to the first floor of bay three is set immediately below the eaves and between timbers. A very deep stack occupying bay four and the presence of a raised rail suggest the loss of a fire window and the rear range's original use as a kitchen range.

The west elevation has a gabled bay to the left forming part of the 18th-century infill extension and incorporating later brickwork. Three-light multipaned casement windows are present to each floor, and a chimneystack is located at the north-west corner. A small, extended, single-storey outshut with a slate roof is positioned to the centre of the elevation. The west gable end of the front range is to the right.

The rear (north) elevation has a gabled bay to the left with visible timbers forming the north gable end of the kitchen range. Two small windows to the first floor are located to the right of the gable apex. The 18th-century extension to the right projects forward and is blank apart from a doorway to the ground floor left with a replaced door.

Probable mid-19th-century outbuildings to the east of the farmhouse, including a piggery with integral hen-house, and two long, parallel, two-storey brick barn ranges to the south are not included in this listing.

The interior shows fire damage that has revealed original timber framing and wattle and daub infill panels formed of hazel twigs. Some four and five-plank and batten doors survive. The original stair has been lost. Many timbers are charred, but most roof trusses remain, along with some rafters, ceiling joists and floorboards (the latter mainly in the rear range). The front range has Queen post and raking Queen strut roof trusses. A timber-framed internal wall with some surviving infill panels crosses north-south to the east of centre on both floors. A large decorative scrolled bracket, possibly reused from elsewhere, is positioned alongside the north wall and supports a substantial beam crossing north-south. First-floor flooring is now lost. A fire surround and cast-iron grate to the first floor of the west gable end stack have been removed, and the fireplace opening below has been altered with a segmental-arched head. Fireplace openings to both floors exist at the south-east corner of the front range; that to the ground floor has a mid-20th-century surround. A small storage room immediately behind the front range to the rear left has wide-chamfered and stopped beams to the eastern two-thirds and a later, lean-to, roofed section to the western end. The rear right ground floor room of the kitchen range contains a substantial wide-chamfered beam running east-west with no visible stops, and a large 19th-century cast-iron range to the north wall. The rear left room of the 18th-century infill extension has substantial narrow-chamfered beams running north-south, a later ladder-style stair, a small furnace to the north-west corner, and visible square framing to the east wall, originally the external wall of the rear kitchen range. Upper floors are not accessible.