Crossroads Farmhouse

Crossroads Farmhouse is an early 19th-century, very large farmhouse that was formerly a posting house known as "The Owl." It is located at the intersection of the turnpike to Matlock and the road to Ashbourne. The unusual architecture and construction methods suggest it was built by the Strutts. The building features ashlar stonework with a slate roof, eaves cornice, and large stone stacks. It has three storeys and four bays. The façade includes two-light stone mullioned windows with cast iron casements and glazing bars, alternating with blank window spaces, except on the ground floor. There are decorative bands and an off-centre door with a heavy stone hood supported by large brackets, which originally held a statuette of an owl that is now in the garden. A good glazed lantern is present, and the entrance has a six-panelled door, with the top two panels now glazed.

To the east, there is a lower two-storey wing featuring four casements, each with two lights. The eastern end of this wing, located in the farmyard, is made of red brick and includes a stone-framed dog kennel at its base. Single-storey wings are positioned to the east and west of the main house, each with two large panels in front, cornices, and a blocking course. East of the eastern wing is a single-storey section with six bays. Inside, the farmhouse contains a notable amount of ironwork in its construction. The kitchen ceiling is particularly interesting, made of stone slabs fitted into iron girders. Additionally, there is a very large stone water tank bound with iron within the house.