Newhouse Farmhouse and attached barns

Newhouse Farmhouse and Attached Barns

A late 17th-century lobby-entry farmhouse, extended in the 19th century, with attached 18th-century and early 19th-century barn ranges. The farmstead forms a U-shaped plan enclosing a yard open to the south, with the farmhouse at its centre.

The farmhouse is constructed of brick with a stucco render and slate roof. It comprises three bays across three storeys. The principal façade has a roughly central 19th-century entrance porch. It largely contains 19th-century casement windows, except for three regular large openings on the ground floor to the left of the entrance, which once housed sashes but are now 20th-century replacements. Two 19th-century extensions form two two-storey abutting ranges to the rear of the farmhouse, all now fitted with 20th-century casements.

To the west of the farmhouse, the former service end drops to two storeys and continues westward to meet a two-storey barn running north to south, with a single-storey section at the southern end. The barn is constructed in irregular bond with ventilation holes on its western and southern ends, now all blocked. The western façade has a large inserted opening at its northern end and a further large opening to the north within one of the 19th-century outshuts. A 20th-century external brick stair to access the grain storage above is situated to the south, followed by two doors and window openings with casements. On the first floor are two taking-in doors for hoisting grain above the stables for storage. To the south, the barn is abutted by a single-storey range with king-post roof running along Old Etwall Road as a series of cart sheds with open bays to the north.

To the east of the farmhouse is a covered carriageway linking the courtyard with land to the rear. Beyond this, barns continue east and south. The barns are single-storey, constructed of brick in irregular bond with casement windows and stone lintels. The barn range enclosing the yard has a hipped roof.

The house follows a lobby-entry plan opening onto a central chimney stack, with a former hall to the right and parlour beyond. The former hall features a chamfered ceiling beam with ogee stops running west to east and a heck post at the lobby screen to support the hearth beam to its rear. Behind the original rear wall is a 19th-century inserted stair. The former parlour has a further beam with ogee stops and a 19th-century window with shutters at its southern end; the fire surround is modern. Adjacent, on the other side of the former hall, is an additional room likely once the kitchen, now a further reception room at the service end. This room contains unchamfered beams indicating the lower-status end of the building. The rear extensions contain a modern kitchen, cloakroom facilities and a secondary stair.

The first-floor plan mirrors the storey below with three bedrooms, each with ceiling beams with ogee stops, linked by a corridor to the north. A linen cupboard with 19th-century pegs survives between the bedrooms. An additional bedroom and two bathrooms are in the upper storey of the 19th-century extension, with 19th-century plank doors and a fireplace within one bathroom. The majority of the attic-storey roof has been replaced in the 20th century.

The two-storey barn contains stabling at ground-floor level with three 19th-century horse stalls featuring cast-iron columns and ball finials with timber boxes below iron rails. The stalls retain their iron hay racks and have brick-paved flooring. On the first floor at the northern end is an iron winch for hoisting grain. The barn continues at first-floor level to the east above the former farmhouse kitchen, extending into the former service range. Below this, at ground-floor level next to the former kitchen, is a single-cell room also with brick-paved flooring and remnants of a timber hay rack, with a door leading directly onto the main yard.

A brick wall with brick piers and gates runs along Old Etwall Road to the south of the farmhouse, enclosing the yard. The wall has brick coping and the piers have stone courses and capping.