Lower Field Bottom Farmhouse

Lower Field Bottom Farmhouse is a late 15th-century timber-framed house, substantially encased in stone during the 17th century. It’s located off Coley Road in Shelf. Originally a single-aisled timber-framed dwelling, it was later divided into two occupations. The house has a stone facade with a stone slate roof. The south front has two storeys, while the aisle to the rear is single-storied with a two-story gabled cross-wing. The main south front is arranged with three bays, reflecting a three-room plan with a through passage. The first two bays project forward, featuring coped gables, kneelers, a crocketed finial, and a columbarium. The first bay has a double-chamfered mullioned window with eight lights and a hoodmould. Above it is a 14-light mullioned and transomed window with a hoodmould. The second bay has a double-framed, chamfered mullioned window with square reveals of seven lights, and a single-light fire window at its base. Above is a five-light chamfered mullioned window. The third bay features a doorway, now a two-light window, with composite jambs, a square lintel, and a chamfered surround. To the right of the doorway is a four-light flat-faced mullioned window, above which is a further four-light chamfered mullioned window. There are three stacks: one to the right-hand gable, one at the junction of the second and third bays, indicating a hearth passage, and one lateral stack to the left-hand return wall of the first bay. The rear of the house exhibits chamfered mullioned windows of three and two lights to the ground floor of the cross-wing, with a four-light window above. An uncoped gable was socketed for a finial, which is now missing. The aisle has a cat slide roof and cottage doorways with monolithic jambs, flanked by flat-faced mullioned windows of four lights to the left and two lights to the right.

Internally, significant remains of the original timber-framed structure survive, including close studded walling to the arcade plate and a fully framed wall between the chamber over the hall and the cross-wing. The absence of visible communication between chambers suggests an original open hall layout. The through passage contains an ogee timber arched doorway with a chamfered surround, leading into the housebody. This area retains a heck post, a firescreen with an attached settle, and a bressumer resting on an original outside post. Within the fire area is a spice cupboard with a plastered surround and decorative plasterwork. The chamber above preserves remains of the original wall plate, a tie beam with canted timbers for a firehood braced to a post, and mortices in the soffit for a firehood. The farmhouse retains largely intact a late medieval timber-framed hall and its original solar wing. The hall was extended with the stone casing, and it’s remarkable that the earlier timber structure was preserved in the chamber above the housebody. It represents a rare and important survival.