Topham'S Farmhouse

Farmhouse, dated 1630, with 18th-century additions and restoration around 1980. Built of coursed limestone rubble with gritstone dressings and graduated stone slate roof.

The original 17th-century house is 2 storeys with 4 first-floor windows arranged to a 3-bay lobby entry plan. An additional bay was added to the left, and a rear outshut bay. The 17th-century house features quoins and a 20th-century glazed door in a chamfered quoined surround with a shallow triangular doorhead positioned between bays 2 and 3. The large lintel carries a recessed panel with raised lettering reading "1630 ? G.H.". A 20th-century porch of no special interest has been added, and a doorway far right is blocked.

The fenestration of the 1630 house retains recessed chamfered windows to the original openings. On the ground floor: bay 1 probably contained a former 2-light window with the mullion removed and a hood mould above; bays 2 to 4 now have 2-light windows with hood moulds and lowered sills, with bay 3 similarly treated. The first floor has windows of 2, 3 and 3 lights with mullions removed; an inserted bathroom window sits between bays 2 and 3. Large stacks rise to the ridge above the door and at the far right.

The added bay to the left contains a glazed door with a single stone right jamb. An external stone stair to the left provides a flat hood to the ground floor door, supported by a massive corbel. The stair's top slab is concrete; the first-floor door is glazed with restored jambs and sill.

The rear elevation (towards the road) shows the main range with a chamfered fire window in bay 2 and remains of a similar window at the far right; the remainder has 20th-century openings. The outshut to the right contains a 2-light recessed chamfered mullion window in the left return.

The interior preserves significant 17th-century carpentry. The central room features a fine fireplace with a 3-part stone arch composed of a central keystone and flanking single blocks incised to imitate voussoirs; the arch and jambs are finished with cyma mouldings to the chamfer. A large chamfered cross beam and joists occupy the space; those linked to the chimney breast have been replaced. The inner room to the right has a smaller fireplace with chamfered corbelled jambs and a simple shallow triangular arched lintel. A spine beam with stepped run-out stops is present, the joists set into horizontal timbers or wall-beams, some resting on corbels. The first floor contains the principal roof-truss above the central room cross beam, of king-post construction with a tie beam supported by short principals carried on moulded corbels projecting from the inner face of the wall. A small fireplace with sawn stone surround backs onto the stack in bay 3.

This is one of the earliest dated buildings in the area. The plan of central hall, parlour and services represents a typical medieval house layout; the added outshut or dairy (lined with stone shelves) and outbuilding with hayloft or granary above reflect 18th-century changes in farming practice. The initial "H" in the date may indicate the Hewitt or Horner families, two families who purchased land in the village in the late 16th century. The name Topham's may have become attached to the building when William Higglesworth left a house in the village to Robert Topham (of his mother's family) in 1768.