Haugh End House

Haugh End House is a mid-18th century house and attached stable range, built by John Carr for John Lea. The main house is situated on Haugh End Lane in Sowerby Bridge, with the stable range set back to the left. A rear range extends to the right of the stable block.

The main house is constructed of coursed squared stone with ashlar detailing, and has a stone slate roof. It presents a symmetrical facade with five bays, two storeys, and an attic. A flight of steps leads to a six-panel double door, set within an arched recess, and topped by a triangular pediment featuring a pulvinated frieze, cornice, and architrave. Sash windows are set in architraves with pulvinated friezes; those on the ground floor have alternately triangular and segmental pediments, while first-floor windows have cornices. A six-pane sash window is located in a plain surround beneath the pediment. Corniced stacks are positioned at the ends of the house.

The wing on the left exhibits raised ashlar quoins. The central gabled bay contains a keyed elliptical carriage arch flanked by ashlar pilasters, imposts, and voussoirs. Above the arch is a keyed Venetian window, surmounted by a table dentil cornice, a blind oval gable window, and a dentil pediment with a weather vane. To the right of the carriage arch are three plain stone door surrounds, with two converted into windows, each with a keyed Venetian window to the left; above are four matching windows. To the left of the carriage arch are a tall, round-arched keyed doorway, two plain doorways (one with a mounting block), and three keyed Venetian windows; above are four corresponding windows. This wing also has a tabled dentil cornice and a hipped roof with four corniced ridge stacks.

The rear of the main house features a central doorway beneath a tall, keyed, arched stair window. Windows are mainly sashes with glazing bars in stone surrounds, incorporating moulded gutter brackets. The left return shows a blocked central doorway with a rusticated surround and dentil cornice, alongside a Diocletian gable window. The right return has a plinth, a ground-floor cill band, an eaves band forming a pediment, and sashes with glazing bars in stone surrounds, along with a Diocletian gable window.

The interior of the house features contemporary architraves, panelled doors and shutters, cornices, and fireplaces. The right front room has acorn friezes to the architraves, a 1913 painting on the doors, and delf-tiles in the fireplace, complemented by a mirror with an elaborate surround. A cantilevered stone staircase with iron balusters – plain and decoratively-scrolled standards – and a ramped wooden handrail is present. The first-floor stair hall has moulded panelling, a leaf-dentil cornice, and is said to have an original moulded plaster ceiling by the York School of plasterers. Elaborate doorways with Ionic columns, classical cornices, and moulded round arches flank a plainer arch with a pulvinated frieze and festoons above. A full-height back staircase has good turned balusters and a moulded handrail. The stable block retains remains of stalls with managers, which are likely original. The panelling in the stair hall and both staircases is notably similar to that found at White Windows, Cheshire Home, constructed in 1768 by Carr for John Priestley, Lea’s son-in-law.