Chander Hill Farmhouse And Attached Boundary Walls To South East And North West

Chander Hill Farmhouse and Attached Boundary Walls

A house with attached boundary walls to the south-east and north-west, located on Chanderhill Lane. The building dates to the early 17th century, incorporating elements of an earlier house, with 19th and 20th century alterations and additions.

The house is constructed of thinly coursed rubble Coal Measures Sandstone, quoined in part, with ashlar dressings. It has single 20th century sidewall stacks and a concrete tiled roof with coped gables and moulded kneelers, mostly from the 18th century or later.

The building is L-shaped, with an advanced parlour wing to the north-east end and a 19th century service wing to the rear at the south-west end. The south-east elevation shows 2 storeys and attics across both ranges, spanning 4 bays. The main range of 3 bays has been extensively remodelled externally, featuring an off-centre doorway flanked by 3-light casement windows, all 20th century work with curved glazing bars above asymmetrical transoms. There is a massive lintel to the doorway and 20th century glazed doors with glazing bars. Window openings have fake wedge lintels. First floor windows are of 2 and 3 lights, with evidence of a blocked single-light first-floor window between them. The advanced crosswing displays a central 17th century ground-floor 6-light window with double recessed chamfered mullions and a major mullion to the centre, below a drip mould. The first floor has an off-centre 4-light window of similar detailing, with a major mullion and a 2-light 17th century chamfered mullioned window to the attic. All glazing is 20th century.

The north-west elevation has a crosswing gable slightly advanced, with 3-light chamfered mullioned windows to ground and first floors, all without drip moulds, below a 2-light 17th century attic window. This elevation features 18th century coping and kneelers. The main range has a single tall 2-light 19th century window with transoms and curved glazing bar heads, all below a false wedge lintel, with evidence of blocked door and window openings. The 19th century range to the south-west end has a plain gable with a single 2-light ground floor opening.

The interior has been much altered, but evidence remains of a former hearth position to the main range. Spine beams and oak joists are evident throughout. Exposed roof timbers to the parlour wing have a cambered collar and tie beam truss supporting a single purlin roof with curved windbraces. A partition wall is close studded. The building is a rare example of the use of major mullions, and features an early roof structure with curved braces.

The attached boundary walls consist of two elements. The south-east wall is of well coursed square sandstone, defining the south-west boundary against Chanderhill Lane. It incorporates a cellar window and garden doorway with massive monolithic jambs, bearer stones, and lintel. Flat ashlar coping is ramped downwards in 2 steps, reducing wall height from 2.5 to 1.5 metres along its length. The wall terminates at the north-eastern gate pier of the garden entrance, approximately 40 metres to the south-east. The attached wall to the north-west stands 1.75 metres high with half-round coping, terminating at the end of an inward curve against a plain stone pier, which is the south-east side of the service entrance to the rear north-west yard.