Grange Farm House

A farmhouse, later divided into two dwellings, likely with origins in the 15th century and major development in the mid-16th century. It was extended in the early 17th century, a staircase bay was added around 1700, and remodelling occurred in the late 18th century, with further alterations in the 19th century. The house is timber-framed, with plaster infill and some red brick sections. It has steeply pitched plain tiled and machine tiled roofs. The original four or five bay core was initially open, extended to the left by two bays and to the right by a two-bay crosswing, which served as the parlour end. The original position of the stack or smoke hood is unclear, with a staircase bay subsequently added to the rear. In the late 18th century, the parlour became the service end, and the existing stacks were rebuilt.

The house is two storeys and has attics. The main range appears to have a three-cell cross passage plan. The main entrance, to the left of centre within the early core, features margin-glazed double doors with an early 19th-century architrave, roundels at the corners, a lozenge frieze, and a panelled hood. There are three broadly spaced, three-light, part-opening, glazing bar casements on the ground floor, with hoodboards above. Traces of herringbone pargeting are visible, along with a brick plinth and boxed eaves. Two gabled dormers flank the centre and right side. An 18th-century axial ridge stack is located to the right of centre. The left, or former service end, shows exposed tie beams, pentice boards, and bargeboards, with a 19th-century external stack. To the right, projecting slightly forward, is the former parlour crosswing, with a slightly lower ridge. This crosswing features four-light, part-opening, glazing bar casements and an oversailing gable. The right return has a red brick kitchen stack dated 1780 in a terracotta panel, an offset plinth to a large base, and a narrow axial shaft on a separate roof. An entrance is located behind the stack. At the rear, opposite the main entrance, is a part-glazed, six-panelled door with a surround featuring jewelled corners. Behind the original upper end is a short, circa 1700, full-height gabled staircase bay, flanked by slate-roofed lean-to additions, with an entrance to the left leading to the crosswing. A 19th-century red brick outbuilding is attached to the left.

Internally, much of the timber frame is concealed. The hall has close studding, posts of large scantling to a probable former open truss retaining tenons of arched braces. An inserted floor features run-out stopped quirked wave moulded crossed binding beams, joists, and end beams; the upper beam is beyond the 18th-century stack. The former parlour, now a kitchen, encompasses a recessed triple roll moulded cross axial binding beam. A late 18th-century mantelpiece is also present. The circa 1700 staircase is an irregular dogleg with barley sugar balusters, moulded newel posts with rounded inner faces, and a plain handrail. A broad “cross entry” bay contains a 19th-century staircase with slat balusters and moulded newel posts. The first floor shows close studding, stop chamfered wall plates, binding beams and joists, heavily jowled corner posts, and removed arched braces to tie beams. The roof structure displays collars and halved principals clasping purlins and arched windbraces.