Spout House

Spout House is a historic building that was formerly known as the Sun Inn. It dates back to the 16th century and has undergone alterations in the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as later modifications. The structure features coursed roughly-squared sandstone walls, which may have replaced an earlier timber frame, and is topped with a thatched roof that has stone stacks. The building has a longhouse plan with later extensions at the rear.

The house is one storey and attic high, with three and a half bays; the half bay is an extension of the forehouse to the north. There is a boarded door located in the right bay, which is likely a later 17th-century rebuild. To the right, there is a restored Yorkshire sash window, and a small two-light window is positioned under the eaves. The central bay features a five-light window with stepped and chamfered mullions and a transom, while the left bay has a four-light similar window without a transom. Both of these windows were likely relocated from elsewhere, possibly Helmsley Castle. The left return includes a small round-headed window with depressed spandrels and a similar two-light attic window, which are probably later insertions. The building has stacks located in the hearth position and at the right end, along with a small window under the eaves above the central bay. The rear elevation is mostly blank on the left, except for a door leading to the through-passage. The rear wall of the forehouse was rebuilt in the 18th century, and a projecting cellar extension was added on the right.

Inside, the forehouse features an open fireplace with a fire beam, a heck, and an attached settle. There is an 18th-century enclosed hearth built within, along with a 19th-century cast-iron range, peat slab, and reckon. The interior also has chamfered beams and old joists. The downhouse, which has been converted into a parlour, contains a rough longitudinal beam with narrowly-chamfered joists and an early 19th-century inserted fireplace. A small original parlour has a dog-leg stair leading to the parlour chamber. The dairy, located behind the parlour, has stone steps leading down to a lower cellar. Upstairs, there are two built-in beds in the parlour chamber and another chamber over the forehouse, which is a later addition indicated by smoke-blackening on the roof. The structure features two pairs of cruck trusses with a high saddle, a massive ridge piece, and a low collar that creates an awkward doorway, along with one level of stout purlins. Spout House is an exceptionally well-preserved example of its kind.