Longfield House Including Wall To North Front With Railings

Longfield House, built in the second quarter of the 18th century, is a house located on the south side of Town Gate in Heptonstall. It is constructed of finely dressed stone with a stone slate roof and features two storeys and an attic. The house has a double-depth layout with a central passage and originally presented a symmetrical five-bay facade, although this was altered in the 19th century by adding an extra window between the fourth and fifth bays. The entrance has an architrave, a pulvinated frieze, and a triangular pediment. The windows are cross-windows with plain stone surrounds that are raised from the wall surface, featuring flat-faced mullions and transoms that are chamfered internally. The gables are wide and coped, with well-dressed stacks that have coping extending under them.

At the rear, there is a doorway with a cyma-moulded surround beneath a tall cross-window that illuminates a stair at the mezzanine level. To the left are three-light flat-faced mullioned windows, and to the right, there are four-light windows on each floor. Inside, there is a dog-leg stair with a half landing that features 19th-century square balusters but retains an original panelled dado with raised and fielded panels, likely crafted by the same artisan as Lane Head House, dated 1735. The stair-window is set within a plastered semi-circular arch with moulded imposts to pilasters. Above the stairwell is a plaster ceiling with a cornice, raised ribs forming rectangles and spandrels surrounding an oval dome with a central shell motif. Beneath the stair, steps lead to an original cellar with two vaulted ranges connected by a chamfered doorway and lit by mullioned windows.

At the front of the house is a dressed stone wall with copings that ramp to the east end, topped with cast iron rod railings featuring some urn finials. Longfield House is prominently situated facing north onto the main street of the village and represents a significant departure from the local architectural style, both in its form and decorative details.