Sydenham House

Sydenham House is a farmhouse, now used as a dwelling, dating back to the 16th century, possibly with earlier origins. It was re-windowed in the late 17th century, altered internally around 1820, and the roof was raised and partially re-windowed in the mid-20th century. The building is constructed of random rubble local stone with a shallow pitched slate roof. It features an applied half-timbered frieze below the eaves, along with stone stacks at the right gable end, between the second and third bays on the left side, and a large lateral stack to the right of the front entrance.

Originally, the plan likely comprised a kitchen at the east end, separated from the upper section by a roadway that now contains an inserted staircase. The house has two storeys and five bays in total. The first floor has late 20th-century cruciform windows with a leaded appearance, extending to the half-timbered frieze. On the ground floor, there's a tripartite 12-pane sash window to the left, followed by a 16-pane sash window to the left of a six-panel door. A flat-roofed pentice porch, supported by shaped brackets, is present at the front. The façade is unlit on the ground floor to the right of the lateral stack.

The rear elevation shows evidence of a former four-bay layout with late 17th century cruciform leaded windows that rose through the eaves; one remains after the roof was raised. Two contemporary two-light mullioned and transomed leaded windows are visible on the ground floor.

Inside, two pairs of jointed cruck trusses are visible in the west end bedroom, along with remnants of a plain 16th-century moulded cornice. The kitchen reveals chamfered beams with step and runout stops. Modern grates are present. An early 19th-century stick staircase with a cut string is accompanied by a contemporary plaster frieze in a west end room. The original staircase probably rose against the stack. It is an intriguing building, with an unclear evolution over time.