The Cross House

The Cross House is a house dating back to the 16th century, with alterations and extensions from the mid-19th century and mid-20th century. It is timber-framed with rendered infill on a sandstone and brick base, featuring brick replacement walling and additions, plain tiled roofs with a multi-gabled roofline, bargeboards with moulded finials, and three groups of star-shaped brick ridge stacks. The central range originally consisted of four framed bays, with a narrower chimney bay to the west, a long single-bay cross-wing at the west gable, and a two-bay cross-wing at the east gable, possibly of earlier date and with a rebuilt east side elevation and south gable end. In the mid-19th century, the central range of the north elevation was doubled in width and a new multi-gabled entrance elevation was added, filling the space between the cross-wings. The house has two storeys and a cellar. The timber framing is retained in the south elevation, primarily with three panels from sill to wall-plate, with short straight braces in the upper corners and collar-and-tie-beam trusses with queen struts in the cross-wing gable ends. The north elevation of the east cross-wing has large swept braces in the lower corners. The south elevation retains a gabled roofline, with three large gables and a gabled dormer above the chimney bay added in the 19th century. It features two square bay windows with lean-to tiled roofs and paired 4-pane sashes, one cross-casement, two 2-light casements, and a datestone marked "1537" with a Sun Assurance fire insurance mark beneath the fourth gable from the left. The north entrance elevation has a brick facade with decorative timber framing and a large central gabled wing with a large oriel stair window, flanked by pairs of small gables. To the left is a rectangular stair light and a ground and first-floor 2-light casement, while to the right are a ground-floor cross-casement, two first-floor 2-light casements, and a lean-to glazed porch with a central gable. A planked and battened door with a Tudor-arched head is located within the porch. The gable ends of the cross-wings each have first-floor oriel windows on shaped brackets. The interior has been altered but retains fine Victorian woodwork.