74 and 76 Austerby

Manor house, late 16th or early 17th century, probably subdivided in the 18th century, with later 18th and early 19th century additions.

The house is built of coursed limestone rubble with occasional bands of larger, lighter coloured limestone, and ashlar quoins and dressings. The east and west elevations of the cross-wing are rendered. The roof of the cross-wing is slate, but the main range and brick-built additions are tiled. The early 19th century additions to the east are of brick.

The house is L-shaped, consisting of a main range and cross-wing oriented north to south. All parts except the garage to the east are of two storeys.

The 19th century west elevation has three timber mullioned and transomed windows to ground and first floors, all with hood moulds; the ground floor window has a continuous hood mould. All other windows throughout are three- or four-light mullioned windows with ovolo moulding. The north gable end of the cross-wing has a single four-light window to both ground and first floors. Projecting north from the ground floor of the gable end is a single-storey, hipped roof outhouse or store, rendered and painted. To the east of the cross-wing, the north elevation of the main range has a three-light window to the first floor and a four-light window to the ground floor. At the east end of the first floor is a very narrow three-light window with timber lintel.

Immediately to the east of the cross-wing is an entrance with a panelled door. At the east end of the south elevation of the main range is a blocked door, its lower half filled with stone with a Tudor-arched, moulded mullioned window above. Immediately to the east of this is a stone-built addition which has a single-storey brick porch on its north side. To the east of that, the hipped roofed two-storey section has a bowed window with glazing bars to the ground floor of its north elevation. All other windows in these later 18th or 19th century additions are modern.

The ground floor of the cross-wing has a linear plan of three rooms. From the south, a kitchen opens into a central living room, the north wall of which contains a wide fireplace constructed of large ashlar limestone blocks with a moulded arch and mantelpiece, above which at ceiling height is a moulded stone lintel or cornice. The main range, the west end of number 74, contains a single room and is divided from the cross-wing by a brick wall lined with panelling removed from the first floor. A massive stack separates the original main range from the later additions to the east, but the fireplace is sealed and fronted by a modern stone structure. Both this room and the south room of the cross-wing contain single substantial chamfered beams with neatly carved lambs tongue stops. The third ground floor room in the cross-wing has a small rectangular niche set into one wall, similar to others seen in the main range.

Stairs to the first floor of the cross-wing are between the central and north rooms. The first floor plan of the cross-wing is also linear. The ceiling here has been raised revealing tie beams and the lower end of rafters. The central room contains a moulded early 17th century limestone fireplace; a similar fireplace is in the east first floor room of the main range. The first floor of the main range is reached by a modern staircase in the stone-built addition to the east.

The roof, fully visible only in the cross-wing, is of principal rafter construction with butt purlins, a ridge piece and low set collars. The roof of the main range is said to be complete but has been lined to create storage space; only the collars are visible. To the east is the chimney stack, well-constructed of coursed rubble limestone with ashlar quoins.