Rufford Abbey Sawmill And Adjoining Outbuildings

The building is a sawmill, constructed around 1740, with later additions from the 18th and 19th centuries. It has been converted into offices and a dwelling. It is built of brick with ashlar dressings, featuring hipped and gabled slate roofs, some with patterned tiles. Original elements include rendered brick and ashlar plinths, quoins with chamfered rustication, moulded brick eaves with dentils, a moulded ashlar cornice, a pediment, and a coped parapet.

The main block is two storeys high with a 1/3/1 bay arrangement, flanked by wings set at right angles. The south front features a central projecting, pedimented bay with a blocked and keystoned round-headed opening flanked by blocked windows. A return angle to the right has a single sash window. A wheel opening with a segmental head is also present, above which is a central sash flanked by blocked windows, and a single sash to the west. An 18th century wing to the right has four sashes with keystoned architraves, flanked by single glazed doors with overlights. Further to the right is another sash window. Above, six sashes are present, with a blocked opening to the west.

A 19th century wing to the right has four sashes with keystoned architraves, flanked by single glazed doors with overlights, and then another sash window. Above, six sashes are featured, alongside a blocked opening. The north gable has a central double doorway with a keystoned architrave and, above it, a pair of glazed panelled doors with an overlight, flanked by glazing bar lights. The west side has six sashes on each floor. A rebuilt 19th century addition to the left has a casement window on the south side. A single-storey 19th century addition to the left again links to the west wing via a doorway with a segmental head.

The north side of the main range features a projecting, pedimented central bay with a doorway, part-glazed panelled doors with an overlight, and two sashes to the left. To the right is a 20th century door and a double door in an altered window opening. Above, six sashes are present. A rebuilt addition to the right has two doors with segmental heads, and above them, two 20th century casements. Further to the right is a casement and a pair of garage doors.

The west wing, originally 18th century, was re-roofed and extended in the 19th century, forming an L-shape, and has two gable and a single ridge stack. The west side displays three doors and three casements, all with segmental heads, above which is a casement and three glazing bar sashes. The east side has five sashes and three doors, all with segmental heads, and above, three sashes with segmental heads of varying sizes, and three square-headed sashes. The north end has an off-centre doorway flanked to the left by two sashes and to the right by a single sash, all with segmental heads, and two sashes above.

An adjoining brick boundary wall, 15 metres long, has triangular ashlar coping. Smaller outbuildings are not considered to be of special interest.

Inside the sawmill, original features include an undershot iron waterwheel and pit gears.