Stone Castle Farmhouse

Stone Castle Farmhouse

Farmhouse, with parts claimed to be medieval but primarily dating to the early 17th century. The original building was timber-framed, and it was modernised and enlarged in the mid to late 19th century. The ground floor is now underbuilt with red brick, and the front is clad with stucco lightly incised as ashlar. The surviving timber framing above is tile-hung in bands of dark and light red 19th century tiles, including three types of shaped tile. A 19th century extension is red brick at ground floor level with a cogged brick cornice, and the framing above is tile-hung. Brick stacks and chimneyshafts are present. The roof is peg tile with fleur-de-lys shaped crested ridge tiles.

The farmhouse faces south-south-east. The main block has a continuous jetty around three sides and a three-room lobby entrance plan. An axial stack sits between the left (west) and centre rooms, serving back-to-back fireplaces with the lobby entrance in front. The right (east) end room has a gable end stack, probably a 19th century insertion. A parallel two-room plan block projects to the rear, overlapping the end room on the right, with an axial stack, possibly housing the main stair. Behind the centre, a single-storey one-room plan block with a lateral stack projects at right angles; this is probably a bakehouse. The main block appears to be an early 17th century continuous jetty house, though the owner claims it incorporates extensive remains of a medieval hall house. The structural development cannot be determined without interior inspection. The rear blocks appear entirely 19th century in date.

The main block is two storeys with attics in the roofspace. A 19th century two-storey extension, single-storey bakehouse, and leant-to outshot are appended to the rear of the left (west) end.

The attractive three-window front features a symmetrical arrangement around the central doorway on the left two-window section. A Tudor arch contains an old, possibly 17th century, studded oak plank door with ornate wrought iron strap hinges, set behind a 19th century gabled porch on plain posts with 19th century bargeboards displaying a fretwork pattern, apex finial and pendant. Each side are 19th century bay windows containing tripartite sash windows without glazing bars, their stucco sills supported on shaped consoles. A third similar tripartite sash window appears at the right end. The timber mullioned windows on the first floor are probably 19th century replacements, though they may be 17th century. The first floor jetty is covered by probably 19th century moulded timber fascia boards, with each end corner supported on plain shaped brackets set diagonally (presumably under dragon beams). The shaped brackets each side of the front porch are carved with strapwork designs. The two left first floor windows above have jettied gables supported on oak brackets carved with foliage, with richly moulded bressummers. The main roof is tall, steeply-pitched, and gable-ended, with original jettied gables also featuring carved brackets and moulded bressummers. They have plain 19th century bargeboards with finials and pendants.

The rear 19th century block has a porch in the angle with the right end of the main block, containing a six-panel door. To the right of the porch is another tripartite sash without glazing bars, and the mullion-and-transom window above has a gable over with bargeboards cut to a fret design. The roof of this rear block is gable-ended.

The interior was not available for inspection at the time of survey, but the farmer reports that it contains a great deal of early 17th century carpentry detail and, according to him, medieval carpentry. Even if the house is entirely early 17th century, the features visible on the outside demonstrate that it is not only well-preserved but was also a high-quality house. No alterations should be carried out before the interior has been professionally inspected, to avoid disturbing early 17th century or earlier features.