Apethorn Farmhouse

Apethorn Farmhouse is a Grade II* listed farmhouse and shippon, dating from the 15th century but featuring external walls and other elements from the 17th to 19th centuries. The building is cruck-framed with brick and squared rubble walls, topped by a graduated stone slate roof. Originally designed as a 4-bay cruck-framed open-hall house, likely a long-house, it underwent alterations in the 17th century when a floor was inserted and it was converted into cottages.

The front elevation includes a small gabled wing in the first bay, with the second bay constructed in stone. The remaining three bays are made of brick and feature three doors that relate to its use as a shippon. There is one ridge chimney. The east elevation, which has three bays in brick and the rest in stone, showcases three dormer windows rising from the eaves, one of which is gabled. The gable facing the road has one ground floor window and a sash window above.

Internally, the cruck-frame and roof construction are particularly noteworthy, with four out of the five original cruck trusses still intact. These trusses include tie beams, collar ties, and collar yokes that support the original roof. The second frame, now part of the shippon, features an unusual detail on the east blade: a simply carved capital with a rudimentary column beneath. This farmhouse is an important example of an early house type, with very few remaining in Greater Manchester.