Beech Farmhouse

Beech Farmhouse is a farmhouse dating from the early to mid 17th century. It features squared limestone walling, some rubble, and a concrete tile roof. The building appears to consist of two parallel ranges constructed at different times, with a lean-to extension at ground level on the back and one side. It has two gables, with the gables coped at the front (facing away from the road) and plain at the back. The earlier section, located on the right, is built of rubble and has two storeys, an attic, and part of a basement. This section includes one over two over three-light hollow chamfer mullioned casements with stopped hoods and two single lights, one of which is blocked, in the basement. The later section on the left is made of good cut stone and has plain chamfer mullioned casements similar to those on the right, but it does not have a basement. The right return features a two-light casement on the first floor, while the left return has two over three over three-light windows, all with stopped hoods. The back of the house has a small single light in the middle right and a part-blocked two-light window in the low left. There is a 20th-century entrance door in the lean-to addition on the left. The coped gables have cross-roll saddles; the earlier gable has an ashlar stack with moulded capping at the back, while the other gable has a simpler stack. A large stone spout discharges rainwater centrally at the front. Inside, the farmhouse retains its original roof structure, various heavy beams with stopped chamfers, a modified bressummer fireplace, and a spiral staircase to its left. Overall, it is a good survival despite some rather poor later additions.