Higher Thornton Farmhouse

Higher Thornton Farmhouse is a farmhouse built around 1850, replacing an earlier structure. It is constructed of stone, featuring a front elevation of grey limestone with red sandstone dressings, while the rear is made of red sandstone with brick dressings. The building has a two-span slate roof, gabled at the ends with deep eaves, and end stacks with brick shafts.

The farmhouse has a double depth plan, consisting of two rooms wide with a central entrance leading into a stair hall. The principal rooms are located at the front, while the service rooms are at the rear. The left rear room was originally the kitchen, and a former bread oven at the left end stack has been removed.

The exterior is very complete, with two storeys and a symmetrical three-bay front. It features a 19th-century central panelled front door with a rectangular fanlight that has diamond glazing bars, along with a porch hood supported by moulded brackets. The windows on the front are 16-pane 19th-century timber sash windows. The rear elevation includes small pane timber casement windows and a slated open-fronted lean-to with a hipped roof supported by iron posts. The ground floor windows have 20th-century glazing.

Although the interior has not been inspected, it is likely to retain 19th-century joinery and a staircase. This farmhouse is a well-preserved example of 19th-century architecture and has group value with the outbuildings that form the rear yard.