New Laithes Manor House

New Laithes Manor House

Manor house, now house, located on the west side of New Laithes Road. The building dates from the 17th century or earlier, and was substantially remodelled and extended during the 18th and 19th centuries. It is constructed of coursed sandstone rubble with quoins, and has a roof on two levels covered with stone slate and slate respectively. Some internal timber framing survives.

The building comprises a long range with a four-bay aisled main range, a one-bay cottage on the same axis at the left end, and a projecting one-bay wing at the east end.

The main facade faces two storeys, set back (possibly moved back in the 18th or 19th century) and now rendered and painted white. A 19th-century Tudor-arched doorway is positioned at the right-hand end with a moulded cornice above it. On each floor are two sixteen-pane sashed windows with raised plain surrounds, and between these a single-light window with a hoodmould on the upper floor. A ridge chimney stands in line with these features. The cottage to the left projects slightly and has one square window on each floor. The projecting east wing has a recessed mullioned window, formerly of four lights but now two with the first and third mullions removed, and a square window above. The roof of this wing is ridged parallel to the main range but at a lower level and forward of it. The right return wall of the wing carries a large external chimney stack near the front corner, 18th-century two-light windows at ground floor and one light above, a plain doorway, and a single-storey addition to the rear. The east gable of the main range above this wing displays an exposed king-post truss with A-struts.

The rear of the main range is single-storey under a catslide roof and contains 17th-century features including a Tudor-arched doorway near the centre, a three-light mullioned window to the left, and a small cross-window beyond this. Patched masonry and a chimney appear to the right. The left end wall of the outshut has a cross-window at ground floor and a two-light window above. The right-hand end of the outshut has a recessed five-light mullioned window. An inserted eyebrow dormer sits in the outshut roof. The rear of the cottage at the west end is of less architectural interest.

Interior: The main range contains a four-bay aisle arcade of jowelled posts, including posts at the end wall of this range, with some blocked mortices for braces to tie-beams. Similar evidence of timber-framed construction exists at first-floor level of the east wing, which has exposed wall posts, wall-plates and tie-beams with braces from the posts. In the main range is a deeply-chamfered spine-beam with a matching sleeve extending approximately two metres from the present chimney-breast, probably concealing a scarf-joint and suggesting a former firehood bressumer. Much panelling of 17th-century period or earlier survives, including some linen-fold pattern with carved crosses. The rear wall of the outshut contains a large segmental arched fireplace with chamfered surround.

In the east wing, a moulded plaster roundel in the ceiling contains a four-point star. Tudor-arched fireplaces appear on each floor.

History: The building was occupied by the Pollard family from their purchase in 1566 until around 1800. The development of the building complex remains obscure; see the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England report by C. Giles, 1981, West Yorkshire Archaeological Unit, Wakefield.