Hollyvagg Farmhouse

Hollyvagg Farmhouse is a circa mid-17th century farmhouse that was extended in the 18th century. It is constructed of stone rubble with granite quoins, with the upper part of the walls slate hung with rag slates. It has a slate roof with gable ends and stone rubble end stacks, along with a rear lateral kitchen stack. The original layout consisted of two rooms and a cross passage, with a larger hall-kitchen on the right, heated by an end stack, and a smaller parlour on the left, which may have originally been unheated. The cross passage is wide, and likely originally contained a dog-leg staircase to the rear. Around the mid-18th century, the house was extended to the rear, adding a kitchen, a back staircase behind the passage, and a dairy behind the parlour. The eaves were raised at that time, along with the addition of an outshut. Externally, the two-storey front is almost symmetrical, with three windows spaced to the left. A circa-19th century six-panel door is under a circa-17th century chamfered timber lintel with ogee stops. An open-fronted porch, originally supported by roughly cut granite piers, was partially remodelled in the 20th century. Circa-19th century tripartite sash windows are on either side of the entrance. There are three likely circa-19th century four-over-eight-pane sash windows on the first floor. Inside, the cross passage and hall-kitchen on the right retain chamfered wany floor joists with straight-cut stops, indicating the partitions are original and a rear staircase existed. This original dog-leg staircase has been modified to an imperial staircase, with a lower flight featuring thick circa-18th century stick balusters and a thin rail. The hall-kitchen’s large fireplace projects into the room and features dressed granite quoins and jambs with a chamfered, ogee-stopped lintel; a putative smoking chamber is to the right. The parlour has unmoulded wany joists, believed to have originally been covered by a plaster ceiling. Its fireplace has a curved pent (back) and a roughly cut lintel. An original circa-17th century three-plank door with strap hinges leads from the hall-kitchen to the kitchen. The kitchen has slightly chamfered joists. A complete dairy includes slate shelves. The roof structure was replaced when the eaves were raised, but has not been inspected.