Cowhouse Adjoining North West Corner Of Midhope Hall Farmhouse

SK29NW BRADFIELD MIDHOPE HALL LANE (north side), Midhopestones.

3/57 Cowhouse adjoining north-west corner of Midhope Hall Farmhouse.

II

Cowhouse with hayloft, incorporating part of a medieval courthouse. Probably C14, later additions,extensive C20 rebuilding. Squared gritstone rubble, earlier work irregular, Welsh slate roof. 2 storeys, 7 bays. Quoins. Cart entrance to right now with steel joist over. To left, 4 cowhouse doors with chamfered quoined surrounds and large lintels. To first floor, 2 square pitching holes and 2 C20 doorways. Rear mostly altered; traces of earlier work include : massive quoins to the right reveal of the opposed cart entrance, to right of centre the trace of an earlier abutting roof with, to its left, a large corbel and blocked first floor doorway (now window) with quoined reveals. Interior: in the centre of the cowhouse is an octagonal oak post with simple capital carrying a pad with roll mouldings at each end, above it is scarfed a single heavy longitudinal ceiling beam. A first floor window at the right end of the building (now opening into the cart entrance bay) retains a chamfered rectangular opening with a timber lintel shaped with trefoiled heads to 4 former lights, mullions removed. Midhope Hall Farm marks the site of an important manorial centre held by the De Midhope family from C12 to early C14 and succeeded by the De Barnby family.

P. Ryder, 'The Old Courthouse, Midhope Hall Farm', Archaeological Journal vol 137, 1980 pp460-1.

Listing NGR: SK2334799537