West Statfold Farmhouse

West Statfold Farmhouse is a farmhouse dating probably from the middle to late 18th century, with alterations from the 19th century. It is constructed of whitewashed rendered cob on stone rubble footings, with a corrugated iron roof that is hipped at the left end and gabled at the right end, formerly thatched. There is a stone stack with a brick chimney shaft at the right end, and a brick chimney at the left end. The plan is unusual, being two rooms wide and unusually deep for its width, featuring a rear stair hall and service rooms behind partition walls. The original entrance appears to have been directly into the principal heated room on the right; a smaller room on the left might originally have been unheated. Two small rear service rooms flank a surprisingly large rear open stair hall. An outbuilding with a loft over, adjoining the right end, has a lower roofline and is likely an addition. The ground floor of this outbuilding has been converted into a 20th-century kitchen with a rear larder. A loft entrance at the rear of the house indicates that the roof space was originally used for storage. A 20th-century single-storey front addition obscures part of the front elevation. The front has two windows, with an approximately central half-glazed front door. The ground floor windows are 2-light, 6-pane casements with plain architraves; the first floor windows are similar with 8 panes per light, and the left-hand windows are regular. The converted ground floor of the adjoining building at the right has a front entrance and a rear casement window with square-leaded panes. Inside, the principal heated room on the right has a chamfered cross beam, exposed joists, and a large fireplace with stone rubble jambs and a timber lintel. The smaller room to the left has a roughly-chamfered axial beam and exposed joists, with a 20th-century fireplace surround. A stud and plaster partition wall divides the left-hand room from a small rear service room. The rear stair has 19th-century stick balusters. The roof trusses are pegged and likely from the 18th century. The loft over the 20th-century kitchen has an entrance in the right gable end and a 19th-century scissor brace roof. The building is an interesting example of a small vernacular house, notable for its unusual plan, ambitious stair, and smart detail to the fenestration—demonstrating group value.