Vineyard Farmhouse

This small farmhouse dates from the 17th century and was originally timber-framed. It was later encased in red sandstone, brick and render, with a substantial extension added on the south-east side in the late 18th or early 19th century. Further additions followed, and the building is mainly two storeys.

Plan and Layout

The farmhouse consists of two principal ranges, one retaining its timber frame. The timber-framed range runs north-east to south-west with a two-room plan on each floor. The late 18th or early 19th century range was built at right angles on the south-east side. Its ground floor has a large room joined on two sides by lean-to rooms, with two rooms and a landing on the first floor. Later extensions were added to both ranges.

Exterior

The Timber-Framed Range

The timber-framed range is one bay wide. Until recently, render concealed some of the exposed framing. All framing is morticed and tenoned, secured by timber pegs. The north-east gable end displays the end-frame, which incorporates a tie-beam truss with angled struts and braces supporting the tie beam and wall posts. Two further posts flank centrally placed windows on each floor, both with modern frames and glazing. The ground-floor window appears to occupy its original location, evidenced by a pegged timber lintel above. A later doorway containing a 19th-century plank and batten door has been inserted where a lower horizontal rail was removed on the left. Surviving infill consists of wattle and daub and later brickwork.

The range originally had a thatch roof, since replaced by slate. Remnants of thatch are visible on the north-east gable end beneath the later slates, probably added when the building was extended in the late 18th or early 19th century. A modern rooflight on the north-west side possibly marks the site of a former dormer window. A short cross-gable projects from the centre of the south-east side, joining with the late 18th or early 19th century extension. This may indicate an original cross-wing or dormer window.

Four bays of square-panel framing are visible on the north-eastern two-thirds of the north-west side elevation. These sit on a red sandstone plinth with mainly brick infill, though some wattle and daub survives. Two upper panels incorporate angle braces and one lower panel has a tension brace. The remaining elevation is whitewashed stone—whether the framing has been encased or replaced is unknown, as internal walls are plastered. An external brick stack rises just above the eaves.

The south-west gable end is red sandstone with a central window on each floor. Both have painted stone sills and wedge lintels with modern uPVC glazing.

The Late 18th or Early 19th Century Range

Set back and attached to the right of the timber-framed range is a two-bay, two-storey brick range, probably from the late 18th or early 19th century. This forms part of the south-west (front) elevation and has higher eaves than the timber-framed range. A short rendered ridge stack sits at the far right. A doorway with a modern uPVC door is tucked into the left corner where the two ranges meet, protected by a shallow, open timber porch with a slate roof. To the right are two windows on each floor with painted stone sills, deep lintels and uPVC glazing.

Attached at the far right is a probable early to mid-19th century brick lean-to, depicted on the 1844 tithe map. It has a wide window with a brick lintel and uPVC glazing. Its south-east return wall and north-east rear wall are red sandstone, with a brick stack rising from the roof. A smaller late 19th-century brick lean-to attaches to part of the lean-to on the south-east side, forming a continuous outshut with a doorway and short angled buttress.

Rear Elevation

The rear elevation of the late 18th or early 19th century range is whitewashed with two first-floor windows containing later timber frames, due (at the time of writing) to be replaced with uPVC glazing. A single-storey whitewashed-brick lean-to runs the full length of this range. It has a window with uPVC glazing, and its roof has been slightly raised with two modern skylights inserted. A further late 19th-century brick lean-to extension with a window to the south-east return attaches to the south-east end of the lean-to and the rear wall. The north-east gable end of the timber-framed range, as described above, sits at the far right of the rear elevation.

Interior

Ground Floor

Walls are mainly plastered throughout with tiled, linoleum and floorboard floors and lath and plaster ceilings. All ground-floor internal doors have been replaced with early 21st-century timber panelled doors, but two early plank and batten doors survive on the first floor (accessing the two upper rooms of the timber-framed range), along with two probable 19th-century plank and batten doors.

Most ground-floor rooms have recently inserted window architraves. The later lean-tos incorporate modern rooflights. A room in the early to mid-19th century lean-to at the south corner contains a chimneybreast, but the fireplace has been removed.

The ground floor of the late 18th or early 19th century range consists of a single large room with exposed floor joists supporting the floor above. A chimneybreast on the south-east wall has an early to mid-20th century fireplace flanked by arched alcoves. A thick projecting side wall to the right of the right alcove incorporates a window with replaced glazing. A substantial chamfered beam with stops at the north-western end emerges from this wall and runs across the room from south-east to north-west, abutting the party wall of the timber-framed range. The room's north-west wall has visible timber framing with wattle and daub infill. The timbers are morticed and tenoned, secured by timber pegs, and incorporate carpenters' Roman numeral marks to aid frame assembly. A doorway to the left leads into the south-west ground-floor room of the timber-framed range. An enclosed timber winder stair alongside the rear (north-east) wall leads to the first floor.

The south-west ground-floor room of the timber-framed range has recently been plastered. It contains two substantial chamfered beams running north-west to south-east with stops at their south-eastern ends, partly hidden by an early 21st-century stud wall. The north-west wall is also a modern stud wall, concealing a fireplace opening. The ends of the beams and any surviving stops may also lie hidden behind this wall.

The north-east ground-floor room of the timber-framed range is accessed internally via the later rear lean-tos. It has exposed floor joists supporting the floor above and a single substantial chamfered beam running north-west to south-east with stops at each end. The rear faces of the externally visible timber framing are visible on the north-west and north-east walls, and part of the south-east wall, though framing on the latter is mainly hidden by a 20th-century stud wall and plaster. A 20th-century stud-wall frame with fragmentary plasterboard remains stands in front of the room's north-west and north-east walls.

First Floor

The first-floor landing is in the late 18th or early 19th century range. Two doors to the right, with slightly raised steps, lead into the two first-floor rooms of the timber-framed range. Both have early plank and batten doors composed of wide planks, and substantial purlins largely obscured by mid-20th century woodchip plaster. An upright timber, partially exposed by plaster damage, sits between the two doors on the landing side. Further timbers may survive elsewhere beneath later plaster.

The two first-floor rooms in the late 18th or early 19th century range comprise a bedroom and bathroom, both with purlins concealed by plaster. The bedroom contains a chimneybreast. A small ceiling hatch on the landing provides a partial view of the roofs of both ranges, which appear to retain early timbers.