Wheel House And Donkey Wheel Immediately South West Of Southdown Old Farmhouse

The Wheel House and Donkey Wheel, located immediately southwest of Southdown Old Farmhouse, dates from the early 19th century. It features a weatherboarded timber frame set on a brick plinth, topped with a slate roof that has gabled ends. The building is a narrow single-bay structure with tall blind elevations. The broad gabled front faces east and has a plank door on the right side. The rear of the building abuts a later cart-shed, which is not included in this listing.

Inside, the building consists of one bay, with the east and west walls supported by queen-strut trusses and clasped purlins. The common-rafter couples are intact, and there are jowled posts with braces connecting to the tie-beams and wall-plates. The wall framing includes tall studs and long straight braces, with mid-rails present only on the gable walls. A large wooden donkey wheel is located inside, featuring a massive timber axle set on the mid-rails, with the well-bucket rope coiled around the axle over a circular well. This structure is a rare example of a donkey wheel house, complete with its donkey wheel still in working order.