Hesketh Farmhouse

SD 42NE PENWORTHAM HOWICK CROSS LANE

3/82 Hesketh Farmhouse - - II

Farmhouse, now house, dated 1700 but probably earlier and extended at that date. Brick (some recent) slate roof, with some stone slates at rear and on outshut. Plan T-shaped with cross-wing on right. Two storeys with garrets, one ridge chimneystack to each range of building. Segmental-headed doorway to cross-passage near the angle, with plank door and datestone over with incised cursive lettering:

Thomas Walton Ellin his wife and Christopher their son Ano Domi 1700

Windows are now casements with segmental heads, but there are blocked former window openings, some with C17-type brick hoodmoulds in left gable. Rear and side walls of crosswing have brick bands. There is a blocked doorway beneath the stairlight window in the crosswing. Interior: housepart in 2nd bay has hearth backing onto cross-passage, blocked inglenook with cambered bressumer and heck-post, (former door to dairy in 1st bay now blocked); in several rooms beams with stopped ovolo moulding;dog-leg staircase in centre of crosswing has string, turned balusters, moulded handrail with raised grip and is lettered on the string "T W E 1700"; a quarter-turn stair of similar pattern from 1st floor to attic of 1st bay. Door from cross-passage to housepart is of heavily studded planks(probably original entrance); some other doors on both floors have 2 bolection-moulded panels and similarly-moulded diamond-shaped insets. Brick smoke hoods to both hearths. Roof to 1st and 2nd bays has 2 trusses composed of tie-beams, collars, and 2 pairs of trenched windbraced purlins, and junction wall has a 2-light unglazed brick mullion window, indicating original gable wall.

Listing NGR: SD4991828004