Holy Claines Farmhouse

Holy Claines Farmhouse is a 16th-century farmhouse that was extensively altered and enlarged during the early 19th century. It is constructed of timber framing with painted brick and rendered infill, with some replacement brick walling and rendered and painted brick additions. The roof is covered in plain clay tiles, with two brick ridge stacks and an external sandstone chimney with a brick stack at the rear. The building has an L-shaped layout, comprising the main four-bay block aligned east-west with a blocked through-passage, a single-bay wing to the southwest, extended south in the early 19th century, and an additional wing built along its extended west side. The farmhouse has a single storey with an attic, and includes a cellar.

The timber framing is irregular, with mostly three square panels from the sill to the wall-plate. There are long swept and short straight braces in the lower corners. The gable ends feature collar and tie-beam trusses with queen struts and V-struts at the apex. The north elevation includes a dairy outshut with a three-light casement, a bay with a large five-light casement, a canted bay window with a moulded cornice and casements, and a small side-hung casement. A gabled dormer with a casement sits above the large casement, and a panelled door opening onto the former through-passage is located to its left. The main entrance is now at the west gable end and features a part-glazed panelled door within a pilastered surround, topped by an open pediment; above the door is an attic light, and to the right, a pointed arched, traceried window with leaded lights.

The interior retains several notable features, including trenched, single purlins and intermediate tie-beam trusses. The former ‘hall’ to the west of the through-passage has a 17th-century cross-beamed ceiling with stop-chamfered spine beams with run-out stops. A 17th-century dog-leg staircase with turned balusters and a moulded handrail is found in the upper west end of the main range. A spring rises within the cellar.