Upper Tapenhall

Upper Tapenhall is a farmhouse, now a house, dating from the 16th century, with alterations made in the mid-19th century and mid-20th century. The building is timber-framed with painted brick infill, replacement walling, and refacing, topped with plain tiled roofs. It features a group of four diagonal brick chimney shafts on the main ridge, along with small external brick stacks on the left side and front elevations.

The layout follows a hall and cross-wing type plan oriented on a north-east/south-west axis, characterized by a multi-gabled front elevation. The main range consists of three framed bays, with an additional bay added to the front of the lower end bay, and a cross-wing at the south-west gable end comprising two framed bays. A former through-passage is located above the north-east end bay. The building has two storeys, an attic, and a cellar.

The framing includes four square panels from the sill to the wall-plate, with small straight braces in the upper corners. The roof structure features double collar and tie-beam trusses with queen struts in the gable ends, except for the north-east gable end truss, which has a single collar with queen struts beneath and a king post with raking struts above. There is also planted timber on the gable end of the left front additional bay.

On the front elevation, the fenestration is scattered. The central two bays are gabled and contain a ground floor 20th-century casement, a canted 19th-century bay window, a 19th-century two-light casement, and a two-light casement at the stair landing. The left bay shows the blocked entrance to the former through-passage. On the first floor, there is a 19th-century casement. The left gable end of the additional bay has two ground floor 20th-century casements and one first floor 20th-century casement. The cross-wing gable end to the right features two ground floor 20th-century casements, one first floor casement, and a 20th-century part-glazed central entrance door with a flat canopy supported by wrought iron brackets.

Inside, there is a moulded plaster ceiling on the rear first floor of the cross-wing, a dog-leg staircase with a moulded handrail and ball finials on the newels, and the main beams are stop-chamfered.