Barn At Lees Lane Nursery

The barn at Lees Lane Nursery is a farm outbuilding that has been converted into a store. It was built in 1710 and has undergone alterations in the 19th and 20th centuries. The structure is made of coursed rubble sandstone topped with a stone slate roof and includes some elements of possibly earlier timber-framing. It has a linear plan that runs north-south and is single-storeyed with overlofts, along with contemporary lean-to offshuts on the west side.

Between these offshuts is a former full-height doorway that has been infilled with a 20th-century half-glazed screen. The offshuts feature slit breathers and plain doorways on their front walls, with the southern doorway also having a 20th-century rooflight. The south gable wall has tiers of slit breathers, a former taking-in door that has been replaced with a 9-pane window, and a stone plaque inscribed with 'L.B.I. 1710', with the letters arranged around a heart symbol. The north gable also has tiered slit breathers.

Inside, the roof is now underdrawn, but the roof trusses feature slender collars and struts that support unbraced double purlins and ridge purlins. There are remnants of timber framing, including unjowelled posts, sections of wall plate with studs, and diagonal braces, all joined with pegs. Despite some minor alterations in the 20th century, this barn remains a nearly complete example of the distinctive vernacular building style of the Pennine area, reflecting the mixed agricultural practices of its time.