Acacia Farm, including farmbuildings and farmhouse

Acacia Farm is an estate farm complex probably first established in 1784, with significant alterations and extensions designed by John Clarke of Leeds in 1847, further extended in the late 19th century, and subsequently altered. The farm is built of sandstone with vermiculated rustication and ashlar dressings, with stone-slate roofs laid in diminishing courses, some of which have been replaced with metal and slate coverings.

Plan and Layout

The farm has a double courtyard arrangement consisting of a principal square courtyard to the north and a reverse C-shaped courtyard to the south. Part of the southern courtyard forms a small private gated yard serving the farmhouse, which is now subdivided into two dwellings. The farmhouse stands at the south-west corner of the north courtyard. Because of the sloping terrain from north to south, the buildings step down the hillside and the south courtyard is reached from the north courtyard via a stair flight.

Overall Character

The farm comprises single and two-storey buildings with both pitched and hipped roofs. Stone flag and sett floors survive in the north courtyard. The farm buildings have fixed multipaned windows with ventilators, whilst the farmhouse has a mixture of sash and later casement windows.

Farm Entrance

The farm's main entrance is now on the west side of the complex, though originally access was from the east. A new access road and driveway to the farm and the main house of Acacia (now demolished) was created on the west side in the late 19th century. The main entrance features a decorative cast-iron arched overthrow connecting the farmhouse to the north range, with a lantern at the centre and coach or cart wheel decoration to the spandrels. Quoins on the flanking farmhouse and north range step out at the foot of the overthrow. The entrance gates have been removed, but hinge pins survive.

North Courtyard

The north side of the north courtyard consists of a late-18th-century, two-storey, classical-styled stable and mistal (cow shed) range with a plain cornice and a wide centre bay with a raised gabled head. At ground-floor level is a large full-width arched opening with rusticated voussoirs and a keystone. In the gable apex is a bull's-eye window with rustication to the upper half of the surround; the window is boarded and has a small fixed sign reading 'Acacia Farm'. Behind the arched opening is a recess containing three tall round-arched doorways to the centre and flanking sides with original ledged and braced doors and surrounds formed by rusticated voussoirs. The central doorway leads into a former tack or harness room and is flanked by tall multipaned windows with rusticated lintels. The door to the left leads into stables, whilst that to the right leads into a large mistal. Two bays on each side of the centre bay have tall windows at ground-floor level with rusticated lintels and some missing glazing bars, and bull's-eye windows at first-floor level in the same style as the central bay. The eastern ground-floor windows are hidden by a later range forming the east side of the courtyard, and one has been altered, but both retain their rusticated lintels.

At the western end of the north range is a short southern cross-wing (former stables) adjacent to the farm's entrance. The courtyard-facing elevation has a tall round-headed doorway with a rusticated surround and a ledged and braced door flanked by tall slender windows with rusticated lintels, again with some missing glazing bars. At first-floor level above is a bull's-eye window in the same style as those to the rest of the range. The cross-wing's south gabled return has kneelers and a small window with a rusticated lintel and ventilator glazing styled to resemble a sash window, and the rear (west) elevation has three large rectangular ventilators with ashlar surrounds set high up the ground floor and a taking-in door at the centre of the first floor.

The east end wall of the north range has a hipped roof and quoined corners, although the quoining to the lower part of the left corner has been removed to accommodate the courtyard's later east range. At ground-floor level are two windows and a later inserted doorway, and at first-floor level are two bull's-eye windows with plain ashlar surrounds.

The north range's rear (north) elevation has ground-floor window openings on the eastern half, one of which has been blocked up but retains its lintel and sill. At the centre is a shallow two-storey catslide projection (stablehand's accommodation internally) with quoining, kneelers, and slender windows to each floor (including on the west return) and a chimneystack rising from the roof. At the western end of the elevation is a square ventilator serving the stables, a multipaned ground-floor window to the gabled cross-wing, and quoining to the north-west corner.

A single-storey, late-19th-century former coach house or cart shed range forms the eastern side of the courtyard with a parallel range immediately behind. The yard-facing elevation has a cast-iron lattice girder below the eaves supported by a slender cast-iron column, and a large square opening. The range has slate roof coverings (some stone-slates survive underneath) on the courtyard-facing slope and modern metal roof coverings on the inner slope, whilst the range behind has a modern metal roof covering to the inner slope and artificial slate coverings to the eastern slope. The east elevation has a quoined south-east corner and a series of windows, one of which has lost its glazing and is boarded up. A truncated ridge stack exists on the roof.

The south side of the north courtyard is formed by a single-storey mid-19th-century range with a slightly curved east end wall lit by nine-light windows and incorporating two hips to the roof at this end. The north courtyard-facing elevation incorporates two later inserted windows and a doorway that now form part of the farmhouse, and a large round-headed arched opening with a rusticated-voussoir surround that was possibly re-used when the stable complex was altered and extended by John Clarke in 1847. The opening, which has a round-headed ledged and braced door, leads to a covered walkway accessing the interiors at the west and east end of the range, and a stair leading down to a lower storey and the south courtyard. As the land drops considerably from this point, the range has a lower level underneath the southern half, accessed via the south courtyard. This lower level consists of a garage at the east end, stables at the west end, and a timber stair leading up to the north courtyard, accessed from the south courtyard via a large arched opening with rock-faced voussoirs and a keystone.

Farmhouse

The farmhouse is two-storeys plus basement and is located at the south-west corner of the north courtyard. It appears to date from the late 18th century and was subsequently altered and split into two dwellings in the late 19th century. A single farmhouse is recorded in Robert Milligan's will of 1862, but on the first-edition 1:2500 Ordnance Survey map published in 1893 the farmhouse is depicted as subdivided. Number one is to the north and number two to the south. The northern part of the building retains late-18th-century features, including kneelers to the gable end and quoining to the north-west corner. The principal front elevation is now on the west side, though it is believed to have originally been on the east side, moved to the west in the late 19th century when a new access road and driveway to the main house of Acacia was created and the farmhouse was subdivided into two. Due to the sloping ground level the upper floors are raised on this side and basement windows are visible. Number one is of three bays and number two is of a narrow two bays. Both houses have shallow gabled porches with round-arched openings and steps accessing modern doors, and ashlar lintels and sills to the windows. Number one has windows flanking the entrance and two windows to the first floor (all with early-21st-century glazing), whilst number two has a window to the left of the entrance porch and another window to the first floor; both retain two-over-two sashes. The farmhouse's pitched roof has two ridge stacks.

The east (yard-facing) elevation abuts the north courtyard's south range, thus only a single window exists to each floor at the north end with rusticated lintels in the same style as those to the north range. The farmhouse's south gable-end has a full basement due to the lower ground level on this side and a late-19th-century bay window with plate-glass sashes at ground-floor level. A large round-arched two-light mullioned window exists at first-floor level with a solid tympanum and roundel motif to the arch head and sliding-sash glazing. The east return has a slender sash window at ground-floor level. Attached to the east side is the rear of the north courtyard's south range, which is two-storeys on this side. The two westernmost bays at (upper) ground-floor level now form part of the farmhouse (number two) and are lit by a window with replaced glazing and a later inserted window. Below are stables with a single window inserted into a larger blocked-up opening.

South Courtyard

The south courtyard buildings date from the mid-19th and late 19th centuries and are believed to have been coach houses originally. In Robert Milligan's will the stables and coach houses are recorded as being separated by a farmhouse. A single-storey, mid-19th-century range forms the east side and has a pitched roof with replaced artificial-slate roof coverings and ridge ventilators, but retains its sandstone copings to the south gable end, which also has a round-arched window with keystone and impost blocks (the lower part of the window has been blocked up and is now partly hidden by an attached late-19th-century range). The range's west elevation has two windows and a doorway, with a series of windows to the east (rear) elevation.

A heavily altered late-19th-century L-shaped range that wraps around the south-east corner of the south courtyard is not of special interest and is excluded from the listing.

Forming the western side of the south courtyard is a heavily altered, detached, single-storey late-19th-century range that is not of special interest and is excluded from the listing.

Interior

The north courtyard's north and east ranges both have stone-flag floors.

The north range's central stables have cast-iron and timber stalls and a high glazed-tile dado to the walls. The tack or harness room has a painted-stone fire surround with a gas-light fitting above and built-in cupboards set high up the north wall. Timber wall cladding survives by the entrance, but has been removed from the rest of the room. A Jacob's ladder on the east wall provides access to a high-level hatch doorway that leads to a timber winder stair accessing a room above the stables and tack or harness room that would have originally been living accommodation for stablehand or stablehands; the room contains a painted cast-iron fire surround. A small room off the tack or harness room contains a stone sink, whilst a smaller room to the rear has stone shelving. The mistal at the east end of the range appears to retain its original roof structure of A-frame or collar trusses, side purlins and rafters. Sections of glazed-tile dado survive and the mistal contains low, modern breezeblock pens. The first floor has been removed and the mistal is open to the roof. A doorway at first-floor level exists at the western end and provides access to a corridor accessing a hay store over the western stables, which appears to have a similar roof structure to the mistal. A six-panel door off to the north side of the corridor accesses the stablehand's accommodation. The stables at the west end of the range have moulded cornicing and a high glazed-tile dado (sections missing in places) to the walls.

The north courtyard's east range is open internally. The western section has a replaced roof structure, whilst the eastern section has a lath and plaster ceiling (missing in sections). The two areas are separated by slender cast-iron piers.

The south range contains a central covered section open from ground to roof with a stone-sett floor. A ramped walkway on the upper level leads into a large room at the eastern end, which has a queen-post roof structure and a timber-clad west wall overlooking the central open space with taking-in doors and a pulley in front. An open-tread timber stair flight leads down to the lower level and also the south courtyard. The stair and walkway are supported by a cast-iron column, and below is a privy. At the western end of the lower level are stables with a jack-arched ceiling supported by cast-iron columns, and timber and cast-iron stalls; the timberwork of one has been replaced by breezeblock. At the western end of the lower level is a former coach house (latterly used as a garage) with a sliding door.

The farmhouse is now subdivided into two internally. Number one occupies the northern part and has four-panel doors and moulded architraves to the ground floor, and chimneybreasts and moulded skirtings throughout. The main entrance leads straight into the front-right room, which has a modern brick and timber fireplace and two doorways in the rear wall leading to the stair and a rear annexe located within the north courtyard's south range and containing a toilet and bathroom. The front-left room has ceiling coving and a modern hole-in-the-wall fireplace. A small kitchen to the rear overlooking the yard has a suspended ceiling and a quarry-tile floor underneath a modern laminate floor covering. A steep narrow stair flight with a winder at the bottom leads up to three rooms on the first floor, which have later doors. Two of the rooms have painted cast-iron fire surrounds. A stone stair leads down to the basement, which has two rooms and a stone-flag floor, stone and brick pantry shelving, a painted-stone fire surround with a gas-light fitting above, and a stone and brick copper and sink.

Internally number two also has four-panel doors and moulded architraves. The main entrance also leads straight into the front room, which has a window to the west and a large late-19th-century bay window overlooking the south courtyard. The room has a 1970s suspended ceiling and wall cladding, and a late-20th-century stone fireplace construction and gas fire. Decorative moulded cornicing sits just beneath the suspended ceiling. Number two now incorporates part of the north courtyard's south range internally, which contains a kitchen (formerly used as a dairy) with a pantry, toilet and bathroom off, and a partly-glazed panelled door leading out to the covered walkway. A stair in the same style as that to number one leads up to the first floor, which has a single room (now subdivided into two) with a floorboard floor and a chimneybreast with a painted cast-iron fire surround. A stone stair leads down to the basement, which consists of two rooms and is identical to that in number one, except for the addition of a small vestibule with a plank and batten door leading out to a private yard off the south courtyard with a large coal store on the west side.

The south courtyard's east range is now used as a mistal and has a queen-post roof and doors at each end connecting into the neighbouring ranges; that to the south end, beneath a blocked-up window, is a later insertion.

The south courtyard's late-19th-century L-shaped range and western range are both heavily altered and are excluded from the listing.