Plumley Farmhouse, Including Cottage Immediately North-West Of House

Plumley Farmhouse, including cottage immediately north-west of house

Farmhouse of late 16th or 17th century origin, remodelled and enlarged in the early 19th century (certainly by 1845). The early part is constructed of cob and stone, with a 19th century addition of stone rubble, the whole rendered externally. The roofs are slated with late 19th century glazed ridge-tiles, and the gables are finished with stone copings and kneelers.

The front of the 19th century range features two large projecting chimneystacks with offsets, each having paired shafts that are chamfered and stopped with tapered tops. There are three other plain stacks with 19th century tapered tops: one on the ridge at the rear of the 19th century range, and two others on the ridge of the older range, positioned in the centre and on the right-hand gable.

The plan consists of a 16th or 17th century rear range, long enough to have originally contained a three-room plan with cross-passage. In front of it, at the left-hand end, is an L-shaped 19th century range with an entrance porch positioned in the angle of the L. The building is two storeys high.

The exterior, which corresponds almost exactly with a drawing of 1845, is designed in a romantic Tudor style with wood mullions and stucco hoodmoulds to the windows. The entrance porch features a two-centred arch with hood mould; the inner door has three tall ogee-headed panels with glazed head tracery above. The second storey of the porch contains a window with a cranked head, containing an eight-pane fixed wood sash with old glass.

To the left of the porch stands one of the large projecting chimneystacks, with a small inserted ground-storey window to its right. To the right of the porch is the gabled L-wing, which has one window in each storey. The ground storey window has four lights and the second storey window has three lights, all with eight panes per light, mostly retaining old glass. The right-hand side wall of the wing features the other large projecting stack to the left and a mullioned-and-transomed stair window to the right, each of its four lights containing six panes.

To the right of the wing is the exposed end of the old house, three windows wide, with the left-hand bay forming a slight projection. In the ground storey, the left-hand window consists of four mullioned-and-transomed lights with ovolo-moulded mullions on the inside and may be of 17th century date; it has leaded panes and one light contains an old iron casement with original catch. Above, in the second storey, is a three-light mullioned window with an old iron casement in the centre having leaded panes. To the right in the ground storey is a window of three lights with three panes per light, followed by a window of two lights with two panes per light. In the second storey are a pair of two-light windows, each light containing eight panes, beneath a single hoodmould.

The interior of the 19th century addition contains an original wooden open well stair with thin square section balusters and octagonal newels with moulded caps. The older rear range features chamfered beams with notched step-stops, some of them slightly rounded. The roof was rebuilt in the 19th century.

Immediately north-west of the house and included in the listing is a cottage, probably of late 17th or early 18th century date. It has rendered solid walls and a slated roof. In the gable end is a large projecting chimneystack with offsets. It is two storeys and three windows wide, the windows containing small two-light 19th century casements. Early features may lie concealed beneath the plaster.

West of the house, and separately listed, is a U-shaped range of farm buildings, partly of late 16th or 17th century date and partly of 19th century construction.