Forthay House

Forthay House is a late 17th-century farmhouse, with an 18th-century addition, located in North Nibley. The building is constructed of random rubble marlstone, with brick chimneys and a clay pantile roof, originally thatched. It is two storeys with an attic, arranged in an L-plan with a single-storey, attic addition to a return. The front elevation has a five-window arrangement. The ground floor windows are mostly 19th-century casements, with the exception of a central timber mullioned casement. The upper floor has two leaded cross windows, while the two windows to the left are 19th-century casements. The outer windows are paired and have single timber lintels. An off-centre doorway, protected by a gabled porch addition, has a 19th-century plank door. The west side of the house has a hipped roof at the right-hand end and a single window with a five-light timber mullioned fixed light on both the ground and upper floors, featuring replacement concrete lintels. There are two small-paned casements in an extension to the left, and a hipped-roofed single-storey 20th-century extension beyond. The rear has a gable end with a high coped parapet and an attached outbuilding with a brick gable chimney stack and a small-paned casement on its east side. Scattered windows are visible on the rear of the main block, including an iron ground-floor casement and a doorway sheltered by a lean-to conservatory with a heavy timber frame, a 3-centred arched head, and a plank door. A central timber-mullioned three-light leaded staircase window, alongside a timber mullioned casement and a leaded cross window—all having timber lintels—are also present. The interior retains many late 17th-century features including timber-framed partitions with chamfered framing members to square panels, chamfered beams with pointed bar stops with small cut-out enrichments, and a contemporary staircase with turned balusters. One upper floor room has a doorway with an original plank door and original decorated strap hinges. The roof was largely rebuilt in the 20th century, likely when the thatch was removed. The building remains remarkably unaltered save for the roof.