Higher Lank House

Higher Lank House is a farmhouse that has been converted into a private residence, dating from the early 17th century. It is constructed of stone rubble and features a rag slate roof with gable ends. The building has stone rubble end stacks and a front lateral hall stack with a brick shaft.

The layout is likely a three-room and cross passage plan, with the lower end on the left heated by an end stack, the hall heated by a front lateral stack, and an inner room to the right also heated by an end stack. There are stone rubble cross walls on both the lower and probably higher side of the hall. In the mid-18th century, the hall was divided, and a partition was added across the rear to create a corridor. A staircase was likely inserted in the hall around the same time, but it was later replaced in the 19th century.

The right side of the front elevation appears to have been partially rebuilt in the mid-19th century, indicated by a straight joint to the left of the front lateral stack, which does not have a corresponding joint on the rear elevation. The front entrance, located to the left of center, has been blocked and replaced with a window. There is no evidence of a rear door to the passage on the plastered internal wall, and any evidence on the external wall is obscured by an outshot extension that was added in the early 19th century to accommodate a dairy.

The exterior features two storeys and has an asymmetrical seven-window front. The right side of the house has windows arranged symmetrically, with 16-pane sashes that were renewed in the late 20th century. The ground floor includes a 16-pane sash to the left, a 20th-century pane sash in the partly blocked entrance with a late 20th-century granite lintel, and a 2-light casement to the left. The front lateral stack is near the center, flanked by two 16-pane sashes and a partly glazed door to the right. The first floor has seven 16-pane sashes, and there is a small 20th-century extension on the left gable end.

Inside, the fireplaces have been blocked with 20th-century grates, and there is a low plaster ceiling in the right-hand room. Several 18th-century two-panel doors with raised and fielded panels can be found throughout. The first floor and roof structure are not accessible, but an inspection of the roof structure may provide a more accurate dating for Higher Lank House.