Cross Lanes Farmhouse

Farmhouse, dating from approximately 1620, with alterations made in the mid-19th century. The house is timber-framed with painted brick and rendered infill, brick replacement walling and additions, and plain tiled roofs. It has an ‘H-plan’, comprising a central hall range of two framed bays aligned roughly east/west, a small framed wing at the centre of the north elevation, a cross-wing of two framed bays at the east end with a central chimney and three star-shaped stacks with a joint cap, and an intersecting service wing of two framed bays at the west end with a central chimney and two diagonal stacks to the west side of the roof. A small framed projection is situated at the centre of the west side, to the right of which is a lean-to addition enclosing a large external chimney with a tall stack. The house has two storeys and an attic. The timber framing of the main part has five panels from sill to wall-plate, while the service wing has four panels. Long straight braces are visible across the lower corners at first floor level. The small projecting additions have three panels from sill to wall-plate. The roof structure includes collar and tie-beam trusses with three struts to the collar and either a concave or straight V-strut in the apex. The east cross-wing features close-set studding at ground floor level and three rows of panels at first floor level, alongside long straight braces. The attic storey of the gable ends is jettied and supported by decoratively carved consoles, again featuring collar and tie-beam trusses with two collars, five struts to the lower collar (four at the north end) and two to the upper collar, with a concave V-strut in the apex. The south entrance elevation features a 4-light casement and a rectangular metal-barred window on the ground floor of the central hall range, a 3-light casement on the first floor, and a main entrance to the right with a flat canopy on shaped brackets and a 4-panelled door. The service wing gable end to the left has a 2-light ground floor casement and a 3-light first floor casement, a door with a flat canopy on brackets, and a tiled weathering at tie-beam level, along with a 2-light ground floor casement with a cambered head, positioned in the angle with the hall part. The east cross-wing gable end has a ground and first floor 3-light casement, an attic light, and plank weathering at tie-beam level. The interior is said to have been remodelled, and a fire insurance mark is partly visible on the north end of the east cross-wing.