Lake Farmhouse

Lake Farmhouse is an early 16th-century farmhouse with modifications from the 17th century and an addition from the 19th century. It is constructed of rubble walls, with some cobwork at the top and rear, and has a gable ended roof covered in corrugated asbestos. The farmhouse has two axial stacks, one with a dripcourse at the top and dripmoulds, and the other at the right gable end, both incorporating brick shafts. Originally designed with a 3-room-and-through-passage plan, it includes a possible integral shippon (animal shelter) beyond a small room to the left. The hall and lower end were initially open to the roof, with a central hearth in the hall. The inner room may have always been floored. A stack was inserted into the hall in the early 17th century, backing onto the passage, with a newel staircase positioned in front of the hall stack. A 19th-century outshut was added to the rear of the hall. The front of the farmhouse is asymmetrical, with a three-window arrangement, although most of the windows have been removed, except for a small light to the stairs located to the left of the centre. A wide plank door, likely from the 19th century or earlier, provides access to the passage on the left. A 20th-century opening has been inserted into the inner room towards the right-hand end. The shippon to the left has a corrugated iron roof and ventilation slits in its front and rear walls. A 2-light hollow chamfered wooden mullion window is located on the first floor of the right gable end wall. Inside the passage are two early 16th-century shouldered-head chamfered wooden doorframes, one to the lower room and one to the hall. The lower room contains two wood-framed, small rectangular recesses in its end wall of uncertain purpose, as well as chamfered axial beams. The hall has a fireplace with a chamfered granite lintel and jambs, and a wooden newel staircase rising in front. A chamfered ceiling beam extends from the fireplace to the rear wall. The inner room also features hollow chamfered axial beams and a fireplace with dressed granite jambs and a chamfered wooden lintel. The original roof structure remains, incorporating a pair of raised crucks over the passage and hall, and principals with sharply cranked feet over the inner room. Purlins and rafters are present over the hall and inner room. The timbers in the lower room and hall are heavily smoke-blackened, but the timbers over the inner room are cleaner, suggesting it was floored from the beginning. The roof construction differs slightly in the inner room, which may support this theory. Despite being unoccupied, the farmhouse retains a surprisingly complete interior with several interesting and high-quality features.