Higher Cleave Farmhouse

Higher Cleave Farmhouse is a 16th and 17th century farmhouse, with later 19th and 20th century alterations. It is constructed of exposed local stone and flint rubble, with stone rubble stacks topped with 20th century brick and stone rubble, and a thatched roof, with corrugated asbestos to the rear outshot. The farmhouse is built across a gentle hillslope, originally with a 3-room-and-through-passage plan, facing north-east. The left (south-east) end features an inner room with a gable-end stack and a winder or newel stair. The hall has an axial stack backing onto the passage, and a stair turret projects to the rear. The right (north-west) end contains the service end kitchen, with a gable end stack. The building was likely originally open hall house. The roof timbers are reported to be clean, suggesting the hall fireplace is an original feature, potentially dating the farmhouse to the mid to late 16th century. The house is two storeys high, with rear outshots extending from the passage and service end kitchen. Externally, the front has an irregular 5-window arrangement with 20th century casements with glazing bars. The passage front doorway, located right of centre, now has a late 19th century part-glazed plank door with a 20th century corrugated iron hood. The main roof is gable-ended, and a small, probably 17th century, oak-framed stair window containing rectangular panes of leaded glass is located in the left end. An internal inspection was unavailable during the survey, but the owner reports significant 16th and 17th century carpentry detail remains, including a roof carried on jointed cruck trusses. A full internal survey is recommended before any alterations are undertaken to protect potential 16th or 17th century features. The site, Cleave (or Clive or La Clyve), was a settlement recorded at the time of the Domesday Book.