Giles House

Giles House

House dated 1655, located in Brighouse on Lower Finkil Street. Built of hammer-dressed stone with a stone slate roof. The building is double pile on plan with two storeys.

The south front features three gabled bays. All windows are double chamfered mullioned types. The outer bays retain their original 12-light windows with a 6-light window above to the first bay and a 5-light window to the third bay. The central bay contains an 8-light window, formerly of 12 lights but now reduced, with a 20th-century doorway in the original position replacing a 19th-century doorway with monolithic jambs. Above the doorway is an inscribed stone, possibly re-set and re-used from the original door, reading '1655 TN' (Timothy Netherwood). The first floor of the central bay has an 8-light window with king mullion and a columbarium to the gable. Between the first two bays is an arch-headed light with spandrels now framing a carved coat of arms in relief. Two stacks rise to the ridge. The first floor features decorative modern glazing with several engraved panes, including one recording 'Brighouse New Church Consecrated September 24th 1831' and another inscribed 'Jon h Carter came to Giles House on May Day 1770 The Lord is my Shepherd Therefore do I lack nothing.'

The right-hand return wall has a drip course and preserves double chamfered mullioned windows of 7 lights to the ground floor (rear kitchen) and 4 lights to the first floor, one mullion having been removed.

The rear elevation has three similar gables. The first bay lintel with gable stack serves the kitchen. The second and third bays were probably reconstructed in the first quarter of the 18th century over a single storey aisle or outshut to provide additional accommodation. The central bay has recessed chamfered mullioned windows with square reveals of 6 lights to the ground floor and 4 lights to the first floor. At the junction of the first two bays is a doorway with monolithic jambs and semi-circular arch with projecting dropped keystone. Set within the gable is a rectangular stone with oval depression and architrave inscribed 'MG 1723' (Michael Gibson). The third bay has two similar windows to the first floor with hoodmoulds and two 3-light flat-faced mullioned windows to the ground floor, which has a doorway with monolithic jambs.

Attached is a two-storey range formerly connected with textile manufacture. At its junction with the house is a doorway with monolithic jambs with a taking-in door above. The ground floor has recessed flat-faced mullioned windows with square reveals of 3 and 5 lights. The first floor has different masonry with two 3-light flat-faced mullioned windows. This was probably a single storey outshut in the mid 18th century, raised to two storeys in the 19th century.

The south front was probably two storeys originally, perhaps contemporary with the 1723 rebuilding of the rear of the house, and preserves two double-framed chamfered mullioned windows with square reveals of 3 lights to the first floor.

Attached to the third bay of the south front is a garden wall of hammer-dressed stone with stone capping. Within the wall is a doorway with monolithic jambs and semi-circular arch, the voussoirs of which are slightly recessed to the inner edge with prominent dropped keystone inscribed 'SSM 1811'.

Interior: The interior is fairly featureless except for the first bay ground floor room, which was the parlour. This room has a fireplace with shallow arched lintel and chamfered surround. The carved wooden overmantel bears the date 1655 and is decorated with four panels of lozenges set horizontally, with an arcaded central panel with floral motif. Above is a plaster frieze formed of a double arcade with pilasters, the panels of which have fruit and foliage enrichments.