The Old House

The Old House is a large, detached dwelling, likely originally a mill and associated house. Its construction spans from the mid-17th century to the mid to late 18th century. The building comprises several distinct blocks. One section is rendered, with a stone slate roof and two brick stacks – one at the gable end and one along the ridge. The larger, later block is constructed of coursed rubble with large, flush quoins, formerly lime-washed, and features a moulded cornice and blocking that meets the older block. This block also has a hipped stone slate roof and a single brick stack.

The property appears to have begun as a tall, narrow mill building, accompanied by a low return wing at the north end where it meets the street, and a substantial, well-appointed mill owner’s house attached to the south. These three units form a courtyard that sits below road level on the west side.

The west-facing mill block is largely blank, with a few 19th-century windows, including a 3-light wood mullioned casement at eaves level, a 2-light hollow chamfer mullioned casement on the ground floor, and another 3-light mullioned casement on the first floor. A plank door is set within a broad stone surround of the 19th century, with a peaked arch in a deep lintel. The storeys are irregular, with windows including 2-light reserve chamfer windows, 2 similar windows with stopped drips, and a 4-light window with stopped drips, mostly fitted with 19th century iron casements. A later oriel window is positioned opposite the main entrance, which now has a 20th-century door. A further 20th-century door is situated at the junction with the end wall of the later block. Small openings are visible in the gable end.

The south-facing main block is two storeys high with a basement, featuring a four-window front. It is primarily characterised by 12-pane sash windows, although the second-floor bay of the second window is blank, and a smaller 12-pane window has been inserted between the third and fourth windows at this level. Late 20th-century aluminium casement windows occupy the first-floor positions of windows 1 and 2, and the third window is blank. The semi-basement features 2/2-light hollow chamfer casements, with a cut-back drip on the one to the right, alongside a central plank door within a flush surround. The end wall, facing the road, has a blocked 2-light hollow chamfer mullioned casement with a stopped drip at first floor level.

A one-story, part-octagonal porch with a door beneath a semi-circular arch and key-stone is located within the courtyard, built into the internal corner. A small service block, with a stone slate roof, also sits within the courtyard, including a 19th-century 3-light wood casement over a 3-light reserve chamfer mullioned casement, and a stone lintel over a chute entry from the road.

The interior of the mill retained an open A-frame roof structure until the mid-20th century; a wood spiral staircase rises through the full height, flanked by a gable-end fireplace. The later block contains various shuttered openings and a full-length basement room. The interior was not fully inspected. It is believed the mill dates from 1647. The overall property is of a grand scale, but has suffered architectural decline due to the insertion of non-conforming new windows. It is situated on the old road through Slad, now bypassed by the B4070 to the west.