East Heywood Farmhouse

East Heywood Farmhouse is a farmhouse dating from around the early 16th century, with alterations and an addition from the 17th century. It is constructed of rendered cob walls with a corrugated asbestos roof gabled at the right end and to the rear wing. Architectural features include a rendered rubble axial stack offset from the ridge, a rendered brick stack at the right gable end, and a projecting rendered lateral stack with a brick shaft to the side of the wing.

The original layout consisted of three rooms and a through-passage, likely with an open hall, although direct evidence of this is absent. Significant alterations in the 17th century included flooring throughout, the insertion of a hall stack backing onto the passage, and the addition of a substantial parlour wing with a lateral stack. The lower room was also likely extended at this time. The thatch was removed from the roof in the mid-20th century, likely destroying any remaining medieval roof timbers. The front of the house was refenestrated in the 20th century, while the rear elevation remains relatively unaltered.

The front elevation has an asymmetrical arrangement with five windows, featuring early to mid-20th century 2 and 3-light casements, some with small panes. A transomed 1st-floor window on the right-hand side may be earlier. A gabled, part-glazed porch, also from the 20th century, is centrally positioned. The rear elevation has a 19th-century plank door leading from the passage, positioned to the right of the centre. Above this is a tall, early 16th-century wooden mullion window with richly moulded mullions and jambs and depressed 4-centred heads to the two outer lights; two 20th-century windows have been inserted into the inner two lights. A moulded wooden lintel sits above this window. To the right is a smaller 17th-century 2-light chamfered wooden mullion window with leaded panes, alongside a 20th-century 2-light casement. A projecting wing has a 20th-century lean-to porch on its inner face, above which is a 17th-century 3-light wooden mullion window with replaced glazing.

Inside, the hall features chamfered cross beams with hollow step-stop details. The fireplace has a renewed lintel. The lower room has substantial cross beams with convex stops. Two 17th-century doorframes survive, one from the hall, one from the wing – both are square-headed and chamfered. The wing also has a chamfered axial beam and a blocked fireplace with an ovolo-moulded wooden lintel supported by stone corbels. The roof over the main range exhibits no original timbers, but the rear wing retains 17th-century timbers consisting of straight principals halved onto notched joints.

The farmhouse retains its 17th-century plan form and numerous contemporary features. It is notably distinguished by the survival of a medieval timber window. It forms an attractive group with a 17th-century detached kitchen across its back courtyard and includes attractive later farm buildings nearby.