Preston Farmhouse

PRESTON FARMHOUSE

Farmhouse, probably dating from the early 17th century, remodelled in the early to mid 18th century, and remodelled again with extensions added in the early 19th century. The building is constructed of painted stone rubble with partial plastering and slate-hanging at the rear. It is roofed with asbestos slate, featuring gabled ends and a hipped roof on the right-hand front addition. Large slate rubble chimney stacks with tapered tops and slate dripstones project at either end, with an altered front lateral stack positioned in the angle of the later front addition.

The original plan comprises three rooms and a through passage, with a front lateral stack serving the hall and gable end stacks serving the inner room and kitchen at the lower left end. During the early to mid 18th century, the lower end room was converted into a parlour and the kitchen relocated to the inner room. In the early 19th century, a wing containing two rooms and a central entrance passage was constructed onto the front of the higher right end. At this time, the hall lateral stack was enlarged to serve both the left of the new rooms and the hall itself. The right-hand room of the addition now functions as the kitchen, while the original inner room serves as a dairy. A staircase partitioned off at the rear of the hall appears to be a late 19th century insertion. Another straight staircase at the higher end is of indeterminate date. The hall was divided into two rooms in the 20th century.

The exterior presents two storeys. The original house has a regular three-window range on the left, with a symmetrical two-window range added to the early 19th century projection from the front of the higher right end. All windows are early 19th century sashes with glazing bars and exposed boxing, predominantly 16-panes except for the left-hand ground floor window of the lower end and the central former hall window, which are 2-light sashes with 12-panes each. Windows to the original range have timber lintels; the hall window features a dripmould with straight joints either side, indicating that the original opening was wider. The addition to the higher right end has cambered brick arches to the ground floor windows; the ground floor right window was replaced with a 20th century casement in the original opening. A 20th century stone rubble porch was added centrally.

The original passage doorway retains its original moulded doorframe with ovolo fillet and ogee moulding, stepped hollow stops, heavy plank door with nail-studded cover moulds, wrought iron hinges, and chamfered timber lintel. A later porch features a simple slate hood on brackets supported on wooden posts.

The rear elevation displays two early 19th century sashes to the first floor (one 16-panes, the other 12-panes) and a two-light window to the rear of the former hall with 12-pane sashes.

Internally, the lower left room, converted to a parlour in the early to mid 18th century, retains a plaster ceiling with moulded ovals, fielded panel shutters, a door to the passage, and a plain 19th century chimneypiece. An ovolo-moulded beam with bar stops spans the partition between the hall and passage. The hall fireplace is blocked with a 20th century fireplace. A late 19th century staircase at the rear of the hall is now partitioned off, with a 20th century partition further dividing the hall into two rooms. Plastered partitions separate the hall from the passage and from the original inner room, subsequently used as a kitchen and now as a dairy. Another staircase was inserted at the higher end of the house. The first floor contains many 18th century fielded two-panel doors, and at the higher end there is a probably 17th century painted plaster figure, possibly depicting a soldier holding a sword.

The roof at the higher end retains three clear principal rafters with mortices for threaded purlins. The roof over the hall and lower end appears to have been replaced in the late 19th or 20th century.