Farm Buildings To West Of Stonebeck Gate Farmhouse

A planned farm complex, dating from 1832 and attributed to G. & A. Walker, is situated to the west of Stonebeck Gate Farmhouse. The layout incorporates buildings for all farming purposes arranged around a courtyard. The buildings are constructed of coursed, tooled sandstone, some of which may be re-used and featuring herringbone patterns. They are covered by pantiled roofs with stone copings and kneelers. Most doors and openings are boarded and protected by heavy lintels.

The south front features a large, central, rebated segmental entrance arch constructed with cut voussoirs, and an inscribed keystone displaying a sunflower ornament. To the left is a cartshed with two rebated entrances featuring chamfered corners. To the right are two boarded doors leading to a byre, with a loft above. The inner face reveals stone stairs, with a kennel beneath, leading to a granary positioned above the cartshed.

The west face, overlooking the road, presents an imposing and near-symmetrical appearance. A square, central dovecot with a pyramidal roof is flanked by a single-storey stable block and a one-and-a-half storey gabled section. A blocked segmental carriage arch featuring cut voussoirs and a lion mask on the keystone is located within the dovecot, above which is an inserted pitching door. A further door is set within the left gable, and three small openings are above three slit vents in the right section. The interior of the stables includes five stable doors and a pigeon entrance at a high level within the dovecot.

The north range comprises byres and loose boxes with lofts above, featuring three doors, two pitching doors, and a series of slit vents. At the northeast corner is a two-storey barn with a lower, projecting horse-engine house. Internally, the barn features three stable doors in the center, plain doors at each end, slit vents above, and a blocked owl hole. The north range exhibits block kneelers and a slightly-swept roof.

The east range includes one-storey pigsties to the west of the barn. The barn itself has two doors and two alternately-set loading doors above. The pigsty wall is blank externally, but the inner face reveals three boarded doors and segment-arched feeding chutes. A loose box is situated in the corner of the barn to the left.

This is a well-preserved example of an early 19th-century planned farm.