Lower Shape Farmhouse

The Lower Snape Farmhouse, dated 1623, is situated between Sowerby Bridge and Higham. It is constructed of coursed squared stone with a stone slate roof and originally comprised a three-cell through-passage plan, with a central rear wing and a single-storey rear outshut to the left. The farmhouse has two storeys and four first-floor windows. A plinth runs along the base.

The front facade features a decorative, chamfered, quoined, triangular-headed doorway, with sunk spandrels and a raised lintel bearing the date. Above the doorway is a carved recess containing a bell. To the left of the door is a double-chamfered mullion window of six lights (serving as a parlour), followed by a window of seven lights (in the housebody) and a two-light fire window. To the right are further single-chamfered mullion windows of three, two, five, five, two, and three lights respectively (from left to right). A continuous dripmould runs along the ground floor, with a heartstop on the right side, rising over the bell and curving down over the right-hand windows, which are set lower. Shaped kneelers and chamfered ashlar coping are also present. There are end stacks, with the left one external, and a ridge stack between the second and third cells.

The rear of the farmhouse displays chamfered mullion windows. The left cell features two doorways, the right one being more substantial, with a two-light window to the left and a two-light flat-faced mullion window above. The rear wing has a gable stack. The left return has a five-light window on the ground floor and a four-light window above. The right return has a single-chamfered light on the first floor. The outshut has a central doorway with a plain stone surround, flanked by two-light windows; a mullion has been removed from the window to the left. The left return of the outshut features two-light windows, with one window on each floor to the right of a stack. The right return has blocked windows of three and two lights above.

Inside, the housebody contains an inglenook with a chamfered bressumer, heck post, and a later stone fireplace. Stop-chamfered spine beams are also present. A stone stair leads down to a segmental-arched doorway that gives access to a blocked barrel-vaulted cellar. The room to the right has a chamfered, quoined fireplace with bulbous stops, a monolithic lintel, and a chamfered ledge; two stop-chamfered spine beams are carried on corbels. The room above this has a stop-chamfered fireplace with tie-stones and a triangular-headed, segmental-arched lintel. The roof features three king-post trusses, with angle braces; the left two have chamfered tie beams and the right one has V struts.