Manor Farmhouse

Manor Farmhouse

This is a farmhouse dated 1658 with a probable late 17th-century addition, partly refaced or rebuilt and extended in the early and mid-19th century. The building is timber-framed with rendered infill panels on coursed red sandstone rubble and red brick plinth, rendered at the rear of the cross-wing. It features partial red brick refacing or rebuilding and additions, with a stone slate roof with laced valleys and plain tile roof.

The plan is baffle-entry, with a hall range of one framed bay with a gabled cross-wing to the left of 2 framed bays, and a probably later projecting cross-wing to the right, also of 2 framed bays, with later infill at the rear. The building is 2 storeys, with 2 storeys and attic to the cross-wings. It has a plinth, jettied first floor and gables with moulded bressumers and shaped brackets. The right-hand return front has a dentil brick eaves cornice, while plain barge boards with finials run across the frontages. A central jettied full dormer with coving and square panel framing sits above a jettied gable with moulded bressumer and carved brackets, featuring a 3-light metal casement.

Chimneys include a cruciform brick ridge stack off-centre to the left with pilaster shafting and oversailing top, a right-hand cross-wing with a brick ridge stack consisting of 2 star-shaped shafts with oversailing tops, an external brick end stack to the rear, and a stack in the valley at the rear.

The timber framing consists of square panels, 6 from sole-plate to wall-plate in the 1658 range and 5 in the late 17th-century range with curved brace. The roof structure has collar and tie-beam trusses with queen struts and curved V-struts.

The 3-window front displays mid-to late 19th-century two-, three- and four-light wooden casements with transoms. Beneath the central ground-floor window is close studding, and beneath the central first-floor window are 2 blank round arches with impost mouldings and pendant finials. The entrance to the right of the window in the left-hand cross-wing has a 17th-century nailed door with strap hinges and moulded surround with ogee stops. A recessed porch with side-benches frames the entrance, which has a moulded surround dated above with the initials "A P AB MB RB 1658".

The 2-window left-hand return front has a rendered plinth and a one-storey wash house to the left with a boarded door and 2-light casement. The right-hand return front displays 3 bays: first-floor two- and three-light mid-to late 19th-century wooden casements with transoms, and 2 ground-floor canted flat-roofed brick bays with tripartite glazing bar sashes. The central entrance on this front consists of 4 steps up to a half-glazed flush-panelled door with panelled pilastered surround and lead-covered flat-roofed porch with chamfered tapered posts, arch-bracing, and frieze and moulded cornice. The right-hand part of this elevation is set back.

Internally, the central ground-floor room features chamfered beams and wall-plates with plain joists. A 17th-century staircase rises from the entrance lobby. The kitchen contains a large 17th-century open fireplace with chamfered lintel. The central ground-floor room has a large 17th-century open fireplace with an early 19th-century surround, a fine early 19th-century cast iron range with fluted and other decoration, and an early 19th-century spit rack above. Some 17th-century wainscot panelling survives. The right-hand cross-wing contains early 19th-century fittings including 4-panelled doors, internal window shutters, and a staircase with closed string, stick balusters, and moulded handrail with columnar newel post.

The right-hand cross-wing appears to be late 17th century, though further investigation might reveal it to be of an earlier date. This is a particularly well-preserved and fine example of a 17th-century farmhouse retaining much of its character internally as well as externally, and it forms an important part of the group around the Church of All Saints.