Orbells Farm

Orbells Farm is a former farmhouse dating from the early 17th century. It is timber-framed and rendered, featuring chequerwork panels of 20th-century pargetting and a plain tile roof. The building has two storeys and attics, designed in a three-cell lobby-entrance layout.

The internal chimney stack has three attached hexagonal shafts with corbelled heads, set on a rectangular base. The windows are 20th-century casements with small panes, with the upper floor windows being smaller. The gable ends of the attics feature original windows, including a five-light window with small diamond mullions on the left side. Above the 20th-century gabled and enclosed porch is an original three-light window with ovolo-moulded mullions. To the right, there is a single-storey lean-to attached to the gable end, which has a wide fixed small-paned window and formerly housed a shop.

Inside, the framing is exposed, showcasing widely spaced substantial studding and a middle rail. There are two open fireplaces with plain timber lintels, and the brickwork on the right has a rounded back. The main beams on each side of the stack are chamfered with curved stops and jewels. Remains of a service-end partition indicate the position of two service doors, although the end bay shows no signs of division. The joists in the three rooms vary in size and finish; they are all plain and set flat, with the roughest and possibly reused joists found in the service end, the smallest in the centre room, and the largest and best finished in the right end. The lobby-entrance appears to be secondary, but there is no clear evidence of a cross-entry. A newel stair is located by the stack, and the main posts have long jowls and arched braces that have been removed. The original attics remain, although the rafters have been renewed in the 20th century, with some wind braces and side purlins still in place.