Leonard Moor Cottages

Leonard Moor Cottages comprise a pair of cottages, originally built around 1810 and possibly enlarged around 1840, situated on the roadside facing northwest. Constructed from local stone rubble with dressed quoins, some areas have a pebbledash finish and exposed rusticated quoins, alongside stone ashlar detailing. The stacks are topped with 19th-century brick, one being plastered. The roof is slate.

The cottages initially had a five-room plan, with the outer pairs of rooms heated by axial stacks serving back-to-back fireplaces. A two-story central porch dominates the front, which appears blind. No. 1, on the right, encompasses the porch and has a three-room plan, while No. 2 to the left has a two-room plan. It’s possible that the outer rooms are later additions and that the original cottage had a three-room layout. Both cottages are two stories high.

The front is dominated by the gabled porch, featuring an ashlar round-headed arch with a projecting keystone and a 20th-century plank door with strap hinges. Above the door is a Hamstone plaque inscribed "COMMON INCLOSED 1810," and above that, a painted gothic-style three-light window with trefoil-beaded lights, sunken spandrels, and a hoodmould. The façade utilizes a "crazy paving" effect of water-rolled stones and includes a symmetrical pattern of geological specimens. Pebbledash covering the sides extends across the first bay of the main block, terminating at a vertical band of rusticated quoins. Each of these bays features a blind oculus framed by rusticated quoins and blocked with a round boulder. The rear wall has a nearly symmetrical five-window front with 19th and 20th-century replacement casement windows containing rectangular panes. The rear contains windows and doorways. The interior was not inspected.

The cottages were likely erected between 1810 and 1811 by Richard Hall Clarke of Bridwell following the enclosure of Leonard Moor. This is an interesting and idiosyncratic building, reflecting group value.