Bickle Farmhouse

Bickle Farmhouse is a farmhouse that likely dates back to the early 16th century, with a remodel in 1729, as indicated by a datestone, and a rear extension added in the 20th century. The building is constructed of stone rubble and features a slate roof with clay ridge tiles, hipped at the right end. A tall brick stack is located at the right end, and there is a brick shaft for a lateral rubble stack at the rear, which is enclosed in a 20th-century two-storey outshut.

The farmhouse possibly has a three-room-and-cross-passage layout that was originally an open hall plan, with a shippon attached at the lower end, now incorporated into the dwelling. It has one and a half storeys and a four-window range of half dormers with two-light casements, each with eight panes per light, although the windows have been altered in the 20th century. There are three doorways; the central one features a stone rubble porch with a slated canopy, while the porch to the right is flanked by buttresses. A small datestone from 1729 is located to the left of the central porch.

Inside, the room to the right of the cross-passage has stopped and moulded beams, but only the roof space could be closely inspected. From the upper end, there are three trusses likely dating from the time of the remodelling, featuring threaded purlins, a ridge purlin, and lap-jointed collars, all in good condition. There is a single 16th-century truss that is set lower than the others, showing some smoke blackening and pierced for purlins, with a morticed and tenoned collar. Another clean truss has trenched purlins, and above the shippon, there is what appears to be a reused blade of a clean cruck truss, with the elbow at the head arching over and resting on a straight principal rafter, both of which are pierced for purlins.