Spenser House

A farmhouse, later adapted for residential use, likely dating from the mid-16th century, and subject to alterations over time. The building is constructed of large sandstone blocks laid in courses, with quoins, and has a stone slate roof. It is arranged in an H-shape, with a central hall flanked by two-bay crosswings facing south. The building is now of two storeys, but originally featured a central open hall. A low, two-storey porch is located at the left end of the hall, with a carried-down roof of shallow pitch. It has a wide, chamfered outer doorway, a three-light window above with round-headed lights and hollow spandrels, a chamfered inner doorway, a small arched doorway and a small window above (both now blocked, but visible from within), and a further small, arched window in the right-hand wall. The hall itself has two slightly-recessed windows of three round-headed lights with hollow spandrels. Above these windows is a large gable containing a window to light the inserted upper floor, which incorporates three lights with chamfered, flush mullions. The gable of the west wing features an altered three-light window on each floor. The gable of the east wing also has a three-light window on each floor, the lower one with chamfered flush mullions and the upper one with round-headed lights similar to those in the hall. A ridge chimney is present on each wing. The rear of the hall has a gable in line with the front gable, featuring an apex chimney, several altered openings, and a large, later outshut with a catslide roof and a tall chimney at the rear, overlapping the left wing and hall. A two-light mullioned window with a lintel inscribed “DAIRY” is visible on the left return wall of the west wing. Internally, coupled, triangular-headed, chamfered doorways lead into the west wing; a large rectangular fireplace with a moulded surround is found in the front bay of this wing, along with a compartmented ceiling formed by four major and four minor chamfered beams. A stone flagged floor extends to the rear bay of this wing, with a vaulted cellar below. Early 17th-century, triangular-headed, chamfered doorways lead from the hall into the east wing. An early 17th-century partition wall was inserted at the lower end of the hall, incorporating a chamfered segmental-headed doorway. Some early 17th-century moulded plasterwork remains in the hall, including the original surround to the head of the partition doorway, and a foliated pattern with small winged figures is visible between the ceiling beams at the opposite end. The roof features king post trusses with angle struts, and arch-braced open trusses are present in the wings.