52,54,56,66, HUDDERSFIELD ROAD

Nos. 52, 54, 56 and 66 Huddersfield Road are a terrace of four back-to-back units constructed in the early 19th century. The buildings are made of hammer-dressed stone with a stone slate roof, a central ridge stack, and a first floor sill band.

The block rises three storeys with two bays, each divided along the long axis. A single storey extension sits between the rear units to the south-east, and another single storey extension is attached to the southern end of No. 52. The block is joined on its north-east side to a later two-storey row.

The north-west elevation features one five-light flat-face stone mullioned window to each floor for each unit, except the left-hand ground floor, which has lost all its mullions, and the left-hand second floor, which has lost the outer two mullions. Two front doors serve the outer side of each unit. The south-east elevation is similar, with all its mullions intact, and includes a single storey flat-roof extension between the two units. This elevation has a door to the left and right, with a further entrance to the single storey extension.

The south-west gable end is rendered and contains an entrance with scattered fenestration, including a round-arched window at the apex, slightly off-centre. This window aligns with the opening below, and together they appear to have formed a stair window now partially blocked. The gable end has large quoins, which are not repeated at the north-east end. The north-east gable end shows the remains of masonry projecting beyond the end of the building near the top and above the level of the adjoining property.

No. 66 has undergone alterations including a kitchen extension and window replacement. Its interior consists of a ground floor living room with kitchen in the flat-roofed extension, a small hall, and stairs to the first floor. Ceiling beams are visible and there is an under-stair cupboard. The first floor contains a single bedroom and bathroom with a boxed stair with open treads to the second floor. A doorway formerly leading to the adjacent unit is now blocked. The stair leads directly into the upper floor, which has a second room partitioned from it. The ceiling is unplastered with beams and boarding exposed. Other interiors were not inspected.

The properties, of a type known as weavers' cottages because of the window runs to the upper floor, first appear on the 1854 Ordnance Survey map. The 1892 edition shows the block divided into two units with a further two units to the north-east, though they likely date from the early part of the century. Between 1906 and 1932, the buildings were subdivided to form four units, with division also occurring in the unit to the north-east. Evidence from the fabric indicates that the block formerly extended to the north-east and that the north-eastern part was later replaced with the current two-storey block (not listed). It is unclear when this occurred as the maps show no alteration of the buildings' footprint.