Shade Oak Farmhouse

Shade Oak Farmhouse

Farmhouse, probably early 17th century, extended in the late 17th century with later additions and alterations. The building is timber-framed with painted brick infill. The front is largely clad in 20th century brick, painted black and white in imitation of timber frame, while the rear is rendered. Slate roofs cover the structure.

The earliest part is a gabled range to the left, extended to the right in the late 17th century. The building rises to two storeys and attics. Only the framing on the front is visible to the centre and right gables, showing collar and tie beam trusses with upper collars and painted V-struts, and boxed double-purlin ends. The remainder of the front is of brick, painted to imitate timber frame. The left return of the left range features a continuous jetty with moulded bressumer supported on four carved brackets, rendered plinth, and some rendered infill. Two narrow rectangular panels appear on each floor with straight tension braces to the corners. Timber frame is said to survive beneath the render to the rear.

Windows comprise 1:1:1 proportions, all 20th century double sashes (those to ground floor are segmental-headed) except small 19th century casements to the attics, with the right side blind and painted in imitation. A central 20th century half-glazed door with narrow flanking sashes is present. Prominent red brick ridge stack rises to the left of the main range. The right gable has two prominent external lateral stacks with tall red brick shafts; the right stack bears a date stone inscribed "F/RS/1763". A 20th century lean-to porch sits between the stacks with a double side-hung casement above featuring H-hinges. Four gables face the rear: two to the left project outward (the right with external end stack) and two to the right (the right with prominent external end stack). To the right of the left gables is an outshut. A 19th century single-storey brick outbuilding projects from the junction of the two left gables and has a reused nail-studded plank door with pointed strap hinges.

Interior

The left gabled range contains a panelled wooden overmantel to a brick fireplace beneath the ridge stack. Two tapering Ionic pilasters flank the sides with blind round-headed arches to the lintel. The centre panel bears the superscription "FF IF 1659". Deep-chamfered cross and spine beams and oak wainscot panelling are present. This range was formerly divided into two rooms. Traces of a possible former smoke-hood appear on the other side of the stack in the main range; the chamfered spine beams are jointed with an iron plate at the point to which the canopy may formerly have extended. An 18th century staircase behind the door features turned balusters and moulded handrail. Chamfered ceiling beams occur in the first-floor rooms; both these rooms and the attic have wide boarded oak floorboards. A semi-circular plaster ceiling appears in the rear room of the right gabled range. An oak winder staircase leads to the attic, which has timber frame (some with herringbone brick infill) visible beneath 20th century brickwork. The right gabled range contains a collar and tie beam roof in two wide bays with V-struts from the collars and an extra collar inserted for added strength. The roof structure across the ranges is similar.

The cellar contains part regularly coursed and dressed red sandstone and part brick walls. The section beneath the left gabled range features a barrel vault. Cobbled floors run throughout the cellar. The overmantel is said to be almost identical to that at Old Hall, Lee.

A lean-to to the rear of the right gabled range and a mid-20th century flat-roofed addition to the rear of the left gabled range are not of special architectural interest.