Sowden Farmhouse

Sowden Farmhouse is a detached house, originally a farmhouse, dating to the early 17th century. It is constructed of coursed sandstone rubble, partly roughcast, with a gabled-end slate roof. The house was initially planned as a three-room, through-passage dwelling, with the higher-quality end situated to the right of the passage, accompanied by a rear service-end wing. A 19th-century addition was built to the rear of the former apple store, which is now a kitchen, and a further 20th-century extension extends from this. The hall and service end were originally heated by external front lateral stacks, built of stone with moulded set-offs and brick shafts. The inner room was unheated, while the rear wing had its own external end stack.

The front elevation exhibits an irregular arrangement of windows. Two stacks dominate the facade. A four-light casement window on the first floor, to the left of the service end stack, features ovolo moulded jambs, mullions, and surround. A single other first-floor window is located to the right of the hall stack, with two lights and dating to the 19th century. The ground floor has two two-light and two three-light casement windows, which are 20th-century replacements; the hall window likely occupies the original window embrasure. The left-hand elevation of the service end wing displays two and three-light casement windows, some with hood moulds.

At the rear, two two-light casement windows are present on the wing, one of which is leaded and partially blocked by a two-storey, flat-roofed 20th-century addition. Both windows have window arches and hood moulds. A former apple store from the 19th century aligns with the main range, with 20th-century windows. A glazed lean-to connects this to another 20th-century extension. The right-hand end of the main range features a six-light window, with two lights blocked, and has cyma recta moulded jambs and mullions. A three-light 19th-century casement window sits above it.

Inside, the through passage retains plank and muntin screens on either side, though the lower sections have been rotted and replaced. The service end screen has a particularly large bressumer; the higher end screen is chamfered to the hall side only. The hall fireplace has chamfered stone jambs and a chamfered wooden lintel with a hollow step stop. A ceiling cross beam is also chamfered with a hollow step stop (or scroll) and bar. A panelled rear hall door has a bead moulding surround. A bressumer between the hall and inner room shows mortices for a screen, which is now gone. The service end displays two ceiling cross beams, chamfered with a composite moulding (cyma recta, cyma reversa and cavetto) and hollow step (or scroll) stops, as well as a massive lintel to the fireplace. A chamber above the service end has a chamfered lintel, scroll stop, and bar. A framed partition with wattle infill separates the service end from the rear wing, while the end fireplace in the wing chamber has a moulded lintel.

The roof structure comprises jointed crucks to the main elevation, morticed and side pegged at the apex, with dovetailed collars. The wing roof uses an A-profile with half-dovetailed collars.