Blackburn House

Blackburn House is a farmhouse, now a house, dating from the early 17th century, with a 19th-century addition and renovations circa 1950. It is likely that the south wing represents a surviving portion of a larger former house. The construction is primarily of coursed sandstone rubble, set on a high chamfered plinth, with quoins (now strap pointed). A brick addition is present, and the roof is slate-covered. The building follows an L-shaped plan, comprising a two-bay range aligned east-west with an outshut on the south side, and a 19th-century addition to the north. It is two stories high; the current entrance is on the west side of the 19th-century addition, but the original front likely faced east.

The projecting east gable of the 17th-century wing has, at ground floor, the head and jambs of a chamfered 17th-century window, which was probably transomed and originally contained 10 or 12 lights. This has been partly blocked and altered into a 6-light casement window. On the first floor is an inserted or altered window. Large rectangular sockets are found in the topmost quoins at each side, likely for brackets that once supported barge-boarded eaves. Rebuilt masonry is visible in the gable. The return side is stepped in two stages: the first showcasing an external chimney stack with a moulded cornice, and the second a staircase outshut covering part of the front and all of the rear bay. A 2-light chamfered window with a hollow-moulded hoodmould (but lacking the mullion) is positioned forward of the chimney at ground floor. Altered or inserted windows are present on each floor within the outshut. The rear (west) gable has a recessed, formerly mullioned window of 5 (or 6) lights, also with a hoodmould, at ground floor. Rebuilt masonry is set back within the gable. A cut-down chimney corbels out from the first floor of the north side of the rear bay.

Internally, the building features two bays divided by a post-and-rail partition, originally wattle-and-daub filled, but now only retaining the sill, posts, and beam. The posts bear carpenters' marks; the beam has a stopped rounded chamfer on its outer side, but is cut flush with the posts on the parlour side. There are three other beams with stopped rounded chamfers. The parlour, located in the front bay, contains a large Tudor-arched stone fireplace with a chamfered surround, and a Tudor-arched doorway with a nicked lintel, incorporated into framing that partitions the staircase outshut from the rest of the space. The staircase has been altered. An enlarged chamfered doorway leads to the 19th-century addition in the north wall of the rear bay; remains of a similar doorway are concealed in the front bay. On the first floor, a concealed fireplace is located in the north wall of the rear bay, with the possible remains of another in the south wall of the front bay. It has been noted that the wing may be part of the former Mawdesley Hall, which has a hall but lacks original wings.