Parker'S Farmhouse

Parker’s Farmhouse is a farmhouse dating probably from around 1600, with alterations made subsequently, and is currently unoccupied. The construction is of thin coursed sandstone, with some areas rendered, and has a stone slate roof surmounted by a brick chimney on the ridge where the second and third bays meet. A large projecting chimney stack is situated at the left-hand gable. This is an unusually complete example of a three-bay baffle-entry, two-storey house featuring a two-storey gabled porch and an outshut stair turret to the rear. The windows are double-chamfered stone mullion windows, most of which are now blocked and retain hoodmoulds. The porch, located at the junction of the second and third bays, has a studded board door with fleur-de-lys hinges, set within a Tudor-arched doorway with a moulded surround, a large lintel and a hoodmould. It is topped with hollow-moulded coping, kneelers and seating intended for finials, which are now missing. To the left of the porch is a 14-light mullion and transom window in the middle bay, alongside three five-light windows. To the right, the third bay is rendered, featuring a garage entrance on the ground floor and a blocked four-light window above. The left-hand end wall exhibits damaged render, an extruded chimney stack with offsets at gable level, and a simple two-light window. The right-hand end includes a blocked Tudor-arched doorway and a five-light first floor window.

The rear elevation features a stair turret located at the junction of the first and second bays, with two three-light windows. There are further windows of five and four lights on the ground floor, and of two, two and four lights on the first floor. A small firelight window is positioned at the junction of the second and third bays. A large, later outshut extends from the first bay.

The interior is characterised by the second and third bays being divided by a stone cross-wall, which includes an original stone firehood reaching the full height of the second bay, and remaining timbers of a firehood in the third bay. The hall, located in the second bay, contains a large rectangular inglenook with a stone heck, a timber-framed partition with wattle-and-daub infill and two slightly-arched service doorways at the lower end, and a studded board door leading to the stair turret, which houses stone stairs turning around a stone newel. The upper floor has timber-framed axial and longitudinal partition walls, which are believed to be later additions.

The property was historically the home of the Hindle family, who were yeomen and chapmen (involved in the linen trade) in the 16th century, and later of Reverend Christopher Hindle, a 17th-century vicar of Ribchester.