Southlands Farmhouse

Southlands Farmhouse is a farmhouse, likely dating to the 17th century, with possible earlier elements. It was modernised with an extension during the mid to late 19th century. The main block is constructed of local stone rubble, with plastered to the front, and has stone rubble stacks topped with 19th and 20th century brick. The main block has a thatched roof, while the extension has a slate roof. The original plan comprised three rooms, built down a hillslope facing south. The westernmost room is a parlour with a gable-end stack. An entrance lobby and a 19th-century staircase are located between the parlour and the central dining room. A projection to the rear of the dining room is thought to contain the original staircase and may once have included a buttery. The dining room has an axial stack backing onto the kitchen, which is the easternmost room and has a gable-end stack. A secondary service block projects at right angles to the right (kitchen) end, containing two unheated rooms (now converted into a cottage) and an agricultural store with a hayloft above. Due to a lack of internal inspection at the time of survey, the early structural development of the house cannot be determined. However, it appears the house may have begun as an open hall house in the 16th century, and the layout of the main block is likely derived from a three-room-and-through-passage model. The building is now two storeys throughout. The front of the house has a three-window arrangement with 19th and 20th century casement windows, most with glazing bars. The two oldest windows (on the first floor) have rectangular panes of leaded glass. A symmetrical arrangement features around the front door, which is located slightly left of centre and has a part-glazed late 19th-century door. Both the main block and the service block have gable-ended roofs. The service block includes 20th-century casement windows with glazing bars and a 20th-century door. According to the farmer, no original carpentry is exposed on the ground floor and fireplaces are blocked by later grates. The joinery detail is all 19th and 20th century; therefore the interior largely reflects the late 19th-century modernisation. A full internal inspection is recommended before any major works are undertaken to avoid damage to potentially earlier 16th or 17th-century features. The roof structure may offer evidence of late medieval origins.