Upper Syke

Upper Syke is a house built in 1862, with significant internal remodelling in 1888 and minor 20th-century alterations. Constructed for textile manufacturer Joseph Benn and later modernised for Alfred Benn, it is built of coursed dressed grit-stone with ashlar dressings, and has Welsh slate roofs with ornate iron finials. The house is two storeys plus attics.

The south-east front has a slightly recessed central section with tripartite casement windows on each floor. It is flanked by gabled wings, each featuring a two-storey canted bay window topped with an iron balustrade and a single light window. A painted scar on the left return indicates the former location of a conservatory.

The north-east entrance front features an off-centre projecting porch with a cross casement window and a four-centred arched doorway in the left return. The porch has a dentilated eaves cornice and a parapet topped with an ornate iron railing. Behind the porch is a staircase tower with cross casements to each upper floor, also topped with a dentilated cornice and ornate iron balustrade. To the left of the tower are single-light casement windows on each floor; to the right are single cross casements on each floor. A slightly projecting cross wing is situated to the right, featuring two single-light casements either side of a buttress supporting a canted oriel window on the first floor, with a single light window in the gable apex above.

The north-west front has a small, off-centre projecting porch with a moulded cornice and ornate iron balustrade, above a tall staircase window. Either side of the window are pairs of single casement windows, and above are single casement windows.

The interior retains very good quality fittings, beginning with a glazed front door, a mosaic floor to the porch, and a glazed inner screen door. The hall features ornate dado panelling, six-panel doors in moulded surrounds with patera, a fitted mirror cabinet below the staircase, and a moulded plaster ceiling with a deeply moulded cornice. The staircase has square newels and square panels, with alternate turned balusters extending around three sides of the upper hall. The landing includes a triple arched screen, painted door surrounds with patera, and a coved plaster ceiling, now boarded. Main reception rooms have ornate wooden doors and surrounds, some with inset carved panels, fine brass door handles and finger plates. Fireplaces, some inlaid, are complemented by ornate over-mantels, dado panelling, fitted shelves, and cupboards. Most rooms include deep skirting boards and panelled wooden shutters. A back staircase features two turned balusters per tread, a moulded handrail, and an ornate turned newel post. First-floor rooms have panelled doors (now boarded) and moulded door surrounds with corner patera. Most main bedrooms retain fine marble fireplaces (now painted) with tiled surrounds and iron grates, while two also have wooden fireplaces with mirrored over-mantels.

The building retains remarkably fine quality late-Victorian interior decoration.