The Orchards

Two houses, The Orchards, date from the late 18th century. They are located on Fairfield Square in Droylsden. The houses were originally listed together, then separated; the listing now covers numbers 41 and 42. The construction is brick, using a header bond pattern, with a slate roof. The plan is double-depth, creating a total of four bays and three storeys originally.

Number 42 features a centrally placed four-panel door with an overlight, framed by an architrave and a flat hood. It has two tripartite sash windows on the ground and first floors, with cambered brick arches. The second floor has two smaller sash windows with four panes each. A ridge chimney stack is present, as is an eaves cornice.

Number 41 underwent a complete rebuilding in the 19th century to accommodate changes in floor levels, resulting in only two storeys. It has four sash windows with stone sills, flat brick arches, and plain glass without glazing bars. The entrance is now located in the gable-end, featuring a six-pane door with pilasters and a radial fanlight. Four twelve-pane sash windows are also in the gable-end, two of which have had their glazing bars removed. A gable chimney stack completes the appearance.