Orchard Dene And Adjoining Outbuilding

A house with an adjoining outbuilding, dating to the late 16th century, with later alterations from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. The house is partly timber-framed with painted brick and rendered infill on a limestone rubble base, and partly coursed limestone rubble and rendered brick, all with plain tiled roofs. The main part of the house is a three-bay T-plan structure aligned north-west to south-east, featuring two large external rubble chimneys with tiled offsets, and brick stacks to the rear of the central and south-east bays. A two-bay 18th-century wing adjoins the south-east end, with an external chimney on its south-east side and a brick stack with sunk panels. The house is partly single-storey and attic, with dormers, and partly two storeys and attic, with a rendered band at first-floor level. The main part has timber framing with three panels from sill to wall-plate; some close-set studding is visible at the north-west end, along with a collar and tie-beam truss with two collars, four struts to the lower collar, and one central strut to the upper collar. The south-west front elevation includes four single-light 20th-century casements, a two-light 20th-century casement, and a pair of 20th-century glazed doors on the ground floor. Above are three original gabled dormers with coved jettied gables and tie-beam trusses with swept V-struts; each dormer has a two-light casement. The gable end of the south-east wing features two large two-light casements on the ground and first floors, alongside an attic light. This wing has been re-roofed and has some timber planks applied to its upper floors, designed to mimic timber framing. The main entrance is at the rear of the main house and contains a 20th-century door. A four-bay brick outbuilding intersects the rear of the south-east wing. The interior of the 18th-century wing retains a fine staircase, as recorded in the Victoria County History.