Johnson'S Farmhouse

Johnson’s Farmhouse is a building of group value, dating to the 17th century with possible origins in the late medieval or earlier 16th century. It is located in Up Holland and was altered over time. The farmhouse is constructed of cream-painted roughcast render over sandstone rubble, with a composition tile roof. It comprises a hall range with north and south crosswings, the latter incorporating an integral porch. The hall range is single-storey, while the wings are two-storey. The south wing has a porch with a Tudor-arched outer doorway and a studded inner door with strap hinges. Above the doorway is a datestone with chamfered surround and raised lettering, reading “N/ IE/ 1647”. The south wing also has mullioned windows of four lights at ground floor, and two and four lights at first floor. The larger windows lack a central mullion, and those at first floor are more deeply recessed with double-chamfered heads. All windows have rendered mullions, with a hoodmould over the ground floor window and a similar hoodmould over both first-floor windows. A modern three-light casement window is located to the left of the hall range. The north wing has an altered three-light window at ground floor, and a formerly four-light double-chamfered mullioned window at first floor, now lacking the first and third mullions, with a hoodmould. A ridge chimney is situated in line with the porch. The right-hand return wall of the south wing features mullioned windows of one and five lights with hoodmoulds, while the rear elevation has various small casement windows.

The interior of the hall range suggests a possible late medieval open hall, perhaps aisled. At the north end are two posts; the eastern post is roll-moulded, resembling a sphere post, and the other is plain, resting on a stone plinth. Between them is a shallow, sloped, studded cove or canopy, potentially indicating a former sphere truss or a dais. At the opposite end is a large inglenook with a moulded stone heck and a straight timber bressumer with matching coving above. The ceiling is supported by a large spine beam with a pair of secondary lateral beams. Within the roof space of the hall range, remnants of a fire-hood are visible above the inglenook. The farmhouse was likely originally a timber-framed open hall, cased in stone with a ceiling inserted when the south wing was built in 1647. The north wing was added in the later 17th century, likely replacing the north end of the hall range. The farmhouse was occupied in the 1650s by John Naylor and his wife Ellen. It forms a group with a nearby barn approximately 10 metres to the south-east and a pair of cottages on the opposite side of the lane.