Oughtibridge Hall and Outbuilding

Oughtibridge Hall and Outbuilding

Farmhouse and outbuilding. The farmhouse originated as an open hall with an east cross wing, probably of 15th-century date, to which a west cross wing was added in the late 16th century, around 1581. The farmhouse was altered in the 17th century and extended with a small addition in the late 17th or early 18th century. The hall and east cross wing were re-roofed between 1701 and 1707. Further alterations took place around 1904, and a renovation and repair scheme was carried out after the present owners purchased the property in 1991. The outbuilding dates to the early 17th century, around 1623 to 1624, and was altered or rebuilt in the early 19th century, around 1812. A converted farm building attached to the west cross wing is not of special interest.

MATERIALS

The hall and east cross wing were originally timber-framed and are now partially encased in gritstone. The west cross wing originally had a gritstone ground floor and a timber-framed first floor, now also partially encased in gritstone. All roofs are of stone slate. The gritstone outbuilding has a stone slate roof.

PLAN

The farmhouse has an H-shaped plan comprising a hall, now partially full-height with two storeys at the east end, a two-storey east cross wing, and a two-storey west cross wing. Attached to the east cross wing is a two-storey extension with a cellar and a single-storey lean-to extension incorporating a dairy cum cellar. Immediately to the north stands a single-storey rectangular outbuilding.

FARMHOUSE EXTERIOR

The farmhouse is aligned east to west with a cross wing at each end. The south elevation faces into a farmyard surrounded by other buildings on three sides, which do not form part of this listing. The building is constructed of stone to the ground floor with timber-framing to parts of the upper walls and stone slate roofs.

The south elevation of the hall range has two bays with a ground floor of coursed squared stonework with a plinth and a band of slightly projecting slates at first-floor level. To the far left is a former quoined doorway, now a window with a squared stone lintel. To the far right is a doorway with a battened board door, a square-faced surround and stone step. Immediately to its left is a similar-sized window with a squared stone lintel. The upper floor is timber-framed. A horizontal timber plate is set on top of the stone wall with a wall plate beneath the eaves. To the far left is a post and a low-springing curved brace. Towards the centre is a second post with a pair of low-springing curved braces, with vertical studs between and to the right. The stone slate roof has two 20th-century single-pitch roofed dormer windows and a stone ridge stack to the left. All windows have two-light timber casements.

At the left-hand end, the west cross wing projects a short distance. The south gable wall has exposed timber wall posts to each corner with a stonework wall between, using smaller, less well-shaped stones in roughly formed courses. The gable apex is timber-framed with a tie-beam and rafters with infill of closely set studs and daub. To the far right of the ground floor is a doorway with a squared stone lintel and a board door. To its left is a small window with squared stone lintel and sill and timber cross frame. An external flight of stone steps runs parallel to the wall face up to a stone landing at the far left and a first-floor doorway with a board door. Adjacent to the head of the right wall post is a very small casement window. Attached to the west side wall is a separate building which is not of special interest. The short right return has timber-framing to the first-floor level with stone walling beneath. A diagonal brace rises from the corner post to the wall plate with vertical studs between a cross rail and the wall plate. The roof pitch has a modern narrow roof light.

At the right-hand end, the east cross wing projects. It has walls of coursed squared stonework with a plinth, large quoins and plain coping to the south gable wall. The eaves level is lower to the left-hand west side. The ground floor of the south gable wall has a central French window with adjoining casement lights all under a single squared stone lintel. Above is a large two-light window with a central stone mullion, squared lintel and sill and timber casements. The left, west return has a ground-floor window with a squared stone lintel and two-light timber casement. The upper floor is timber-framed with a horizontal timber plate set on top of the stone wall and closely set studs rising to a wall plate beneath the eaves. The outer east wall of the cross wing is stone and blind, with a later two-storey extension projecting slightly off-centre. To its immediate left, the cross wing has a large projecting stack with a moulded string and tall renewed shaft. The extension is of roughly coursed rubblestone, rendered in 1976, with large squared quoins and plain gable coping. The south side wall has a ground-floor window with a squared stone lintel and two-light timber casement. On the first floor is a small double-chamfered window. The south gable wall has a similar small double-chamfered window to the centre of the ground floor with a larger window above at first-floor level with a squared stone lintel and two-light timber casement. The north side has a square stone stack to the left-hand side of the roof pitch and a small first-floor double-chamfered window. The ground floor and much of the right-hand side of the east wall of the cross wing are largely obscured by the catslide roof of the abutting single-storey lean-to extension. The roof pitch of the cross wing has a modern narrow roof light. The north gable wall of the cross wing has plain coping with a stone gable stack. To the left on the ground floor is a vertical rectangular window with a squared stone lintel and a timber frame. The right, west return is at the left-hand end of the north elevation of the hall range. It has a vertical rectangular window on the ground floor with a squared stone lintel and a slightly smaller window on the first floor, both with timber frames.

The north elevation of the hall range has two bays with a ground floor of coursed squared stonework with a plinth and a band of slightly projecting stone slates at first-floor level. To the far left is a 20th-century doorway with an overlight, timber frame and flanking casement windows with projecting tooled sills. It has a board door with decorative iron strap hinges. To the right is another 20th-century vertical rectangular window with a projecting tooled sill. To the far right is a blocked doorway with a horizontal rectangular double-chamfered window with a moulded hood above, formerly with four lights, now two-light with a central mullion. The upper floor is timber-framed. A horizontal timber plate is set on top of the stone wall with a wall plate beneath the eaves. To the far left is part of a low-springing curved brace. Towards the centre is a post with a pair of low-springing curved braces, with a second post and curved brace to the far right. Between are vertical studs, which are more closely spaced to the left. The stone slate roof has two 20th-century single-pitch roofed dormer windows with two-light timber casements.

At the right-hand end, the west cross wing projects. The walls are constructed of roughly coursed rubblestone with large squared quoins. The north gable apex is timber-framed with closely set studs rising from a tie-beam to the rafters. The ground floor has a large two-light window with a square-cut stone mullion, squared lintel and sill. To the right is a doorway with a squared stone lintel, the top left corner cut into by the window lintel, and a six-panelled door. On the first floor is a central window aperture with squared stone lintel and sill. The left, east return is blind. The roof pitch has a modern narrow roof light.

FARMHOUSE INTERIOR

The hall range has two bays with a full-height west bay and a floored east bay, part of the ground floor now used as a separate entrance hall and a bedroom on the first floor. The first floor rests on two chamfered spine beams supported by a large transverse beam. Behind the transverse beam is a tie-beam truss with the first-floor wall rising immediately behind it. Moulded arch-braces rise low from wall posts to form an arc beneath the tie-beam. The arch-braces and wall posts both have an ovolo and fillet moulding. Sturdy spandrel struts from the tie-beam soffit and inner face of the posts are pegged and tenoned into the arch-braces. Above the tie-beam, closely spaced studs rise to the principal rafters with daub infill. Curved braces rise from the wall posts to wall plates. The west truss has a tie-beam with curved arch braces rising from wall posts. The spandrels between the posts, arch-braces and tie-beam retain their original daub infill. The principal rafters relate to the re-roofing. There is a diamond ridge and a purlin to each side, with a collar with mortices towards the east end. The location of a possible four-light unglazed window lighting the dais end of the hall is indicated by closely spaced and pegged mullion mortices in the north side wall plate, located to the east of the east truss. Beyond the west truss is the east side wall of the west cross wing, which has timber framing at first-floor level. Built against the right-hand side is a projecting chimney breast with a hood beneath the cross wing wall plate. The segmental-arched fireplace has chamfered stone jambs and voussoirs with a giant keystone. To the left of the chimneybreast is a wall post with a diagonal brace and vertical studs. A first-floor doorway, now blocked, has been cut through the framing. To the right of the chimneybreast is a wall post with a diagonal brace and diagonal struts.

The ground floor of the east cross wing has two posts with curved braces supporting a transverse beam, now visible in the stair hall off the east side of the entrance hall, demarking the original width of the cross wing. Timber framing survives at first-floor level to the west wall, visible in the south bedroom and from the bedroom in the east bay of the hall, with wall posts with curved braces and vertical studs rising between a cross rail and the wall plate. The replacement roof has trusses of tie-beams and principal rafters with side purlins and a diamond ridge. The south bedroom has an inner timber-framed wall with vertical studs, sill and transverse beam. To the east outer wall is a fireplace of squared stone jambs and lintel with a cast-iron grate. In the north-east corner is a full-height corner cupboard with fielded panel doors. The north room has a 19th-century grey fossil marble mantelpiece with a cast-iron grate and hood and cheek tiles. The stair hall has a shallow stone step with a board door opening onto stone cellar steps to the right, beneath the modern staircase, down to the cellar in the two-storey extension. Two deep stone steps lead up to the east ground-floor room in the extension. Both the cellar and ground-floor room have a large transverse beam supporting joists. The first-floor room is ceiled with side purlins visible.

The west cross wing retains timber-framing on the first floor to part of the east wall, visible in the hall, and a larger section to the west wall, which is similar to the east wall with wall posts with diagonal braces and closely spaced studs. The roof structure has two tie-beam trusses with a diamond ridge and clasped side purlins with diagonal braces. The tie-beam trusses now have two slightly raking struts, but mortices indicate that the trusses were originally infilled with closely spaced studs. Mortices on the underside of the tie-beams also indicate that the bays were separated by closely set studding, now removed. The ground floor retains a chamfered and stopped transverse beam supported on wall posts between the south and central bays.

OUTBUILDING EXTERIOR

The rectangular outbuilding faces east onto the lane. It is constructed of squared coursed gritstone blocks with horizontal tooling, a plinth and a stone slate roof. The east front elevation faces the lane and is divided into three equal bays by two monolithic squared stone columns. The outer bays now have modern double plank doors and the central bay is blocked and rendered. The south gable wall has small square ventilation holes beneath the gable and a dove-cote with two stone ledges. The north gable wall has small square ventilation holes in the gable and a small window. The rear elevation is blind, now with a modern lean-to greenhouse.

OUTBUILDING INTERIOR

The interior has timber wall plates and a roof structure of two king-post trusses with heavy tie-beams, expanded heads to the king posts and raking struts, with a ridge board and two tusk-tenoned purlins to each side.