Sunny Bank

Sunny Bank is a house in multiple occupations, primarily dating to the mid-16th century, located in Elland. It is a timber-framed building with hammer-dressed stone facing and a stone slate roof. The house is a long, gabled two-storey block, originally divided into two parts by a cross-passage.

The north elevation features three main gables, each with king-post trusses incorporating 'V'-struts. The two gables on the right likely belong to the main hall and parlour wing, segregated from the service end by the cross-passage. The cross-passage has a small gabled entrance with a lower ridge line and a large stack backing onto it. The north entrance features an ornate doorway with an ogee lintel and herringbone studding to the uprights. The south front displays differences in levels and materials. The service end is two bays wide and two storeys high, constructed of stone with an exposed king-post truss. Flat-faced 19th-century mullioned windows have been inserted into the earlier 17th-century wall; a five-light window is above the left bay, and three-light windows are on both floors of the right bay. This section includes quoins and a continuous outshut with a cat-slide roof to the north side. The end of the cross-passage exhibits timber framing with close-studding on the first floor, including angle braces to the wall plate and down post. The hall and parlour ranges on the left hand side are gabled like the north side, showcasing exposed trusses with 'V'-struts. These ranges have a higher roof line than the cross-passage/service end, with posts visible built into the stonework and a girding beam to the first floor.

The building is a significant surviving timber-framed structure demonstrating complex development, evidenced by three distinct rooflines. It appears the house was not built entirely at once, as seen in the timber posts within the south wall and the cross-passage, which are not positioned to support the existing structure. The oldest section is located at the south end of the cross-passage, featuring a timber post resting on a stylobat that carries a bressumer and wall plate. Pegholes indicate these members were once continued on both sides of the post, although only the west side is currently visible. The next post is 13 feet away. Pegholes on the bressumer suggest previous studs, removed during an extension, which explains the creation of the cross-passage.

Historical records show the house was owned by Thomas Wilkinson in 1472 and passed to Henry Savile of Bradley Hall in 1544. The Saviles rebuilt the house before 1517, coinciding with the rebuilding of Bradley Hall in stone. It’s likely that the majority of Sunny Bank dates to around 1550, with the potential for even earlier elements; a survey might indicate a date prior to 1400.