Cooper'S Hill Farm

Cooper's Hill Farm is a large house dating from the late 16th to early 18th century, with alterations made in the mid to late 18th century. The original range was built in the late 16th century and is constructed of ashlar, with a red tile roof and a 20th-century artificial stone stack. An adjacent range from the late 16th to early 17th century has an ashlar plinth and square-panelled timber framing, now pebble-dashed, with projecting ashlar stacks and a stone slate roof. A dairy/kitchen extension is built of limestone rubble with a pantile roof and a 20th-century artificial stone stack. The early range is rectangular, with a lower range added to its north gable end, creating an ‘L’ shaped plan. A long, rectangular dairy range sits at the southwest corner, parallel to the original range. The early ranges have two storeys, with a cellar beneath the timber-framed section. The dairy/kitchen range has one and a half stories.

The west front of the early range features a 3-light C19 casement with a transom and keystone, with a similar window above. A fielded 6-panel door is positioned to the right. A single-light casement with a flat-chamfered surround is set into the gable end. The pebble-dashed range projects forward to the right, featuring a small plank door leading to the cellar, which is set within the limestone plinth at the gable end. Tripartite sash windows are positioned on the ground and first floors above; a similar tripartite sash is on the ground floor return, accompanied by a 2-light stone-mullioned casement below. C19 and C20 two-light casements, some with transoms are on the right-hand return. A single-story bow window from the late 18th or early 19th century extends from the right. A three-light casement is located on the first floor of the west-facing gable, with an ovolo-moulded cross window below, which is now blocked. The dairy/kitchen range has two and 3-light casements, mostly 20th century; a central plank door; and four 20th-century skylights.

Inside the early range, intersecting beams have deep flat chamfers; the spine beams are narrower than the beams with which they intersect. There is an inglenook fireplace with a bressumer in one room, previously containing a wooden spiral staircase, now blocked off. Exposed square-panelled timber framing is visible within the adjoining range. One room is panelled with a wooden frieze decorated with ornate strapwork, and a moulded cornice above. Above the fireplace on the frieze are heraldic emblems, possibly associated with the Guise family, including a two-headed bird at the centre, flanked by pairs of animals (likely a lion and a fox), along with other unidentifiable heraldic motifs and flowers. There is an open fireplace with a deep stone lintel and flat-chamfered surround in an adjoining room, and two similar smaller fireplaces in upstairs rooms. The kitchen/dairy range features a large open fireplace with a bressumer and bread oven. The queen post roof over the stone-built early range suggests it may have been re-roofed during the 18th century.