Downham Lodge Farmhouse

Downham Lodge Farmhouse is a farmhouse that dates from the late 16th century and was extended in the early 17th century. It was encased in 1873 by the Kimberley estate. The building features a timber frame that is faced with brick and has a decorative plain tile roof, which includes fishscale tiles arranged in two broad bands. It has gable end, ridge, and rear stacks with linked ornamental flues, and an extended lobby-entrance plan with a later lean-to addition at the rear. The farmhouse is two storeys high with an attic.

The exterior is completely encased in brick, with the main front displaying a seven-window range at the first floor, featuring square bays and casements below, along with a door located to the centre left. There are two dormers with barge boards. On the right gable end, there is a moulded brick recessed panel that displays the date 1873 and the Wodehouse crest.

Inside, the timber frame consists of five bays, including a stack bay and a former stack bay. The bridging beams have wide chamfers. There is an added parlour at the south end with ovolo-moulded beams. On the first floor, the tie beams have most of their arched braces still in place on the west side. The roof structure features clasped purlins with reduced principals, which have been much repaired in the northern half of the building, while the southern half remains unaltered with intact windbraces and purlins.

This farmhouse is a fine example of a timber-framed structure that was upgraded with careful detailing in the 19th century by the Kimberley estate. It is part of a well-preserved farmstead group that includes a barn to the west and a granary to the south.