Fold Farmhouse

SD 9672-9772 21/107

KETTLEWELL WITH STARBOTTON KETTLEWELL Fold Farmhouse

II*

Farmhouse, late C15, encased in C17 with extensive C19 alterations and refenestration. A timber frame with arch-braced principal rafter trusses, limestone rubble outer walls with ashlar dressings, graduated stone slate roof. Originally an open hall house, now 2 storeys, 4 bays plus added bay to right. Quoins. Projecting 2-storey gabled entrance bay, bay 2 and rear semicircular stair turret bay 3. Facade: the C17 windows are a fire window, ground floor left, a blocked 2-or 3-light recessed and chamfered window immediately to left of bay 2 to first floor and a circular single- block window reset in the gable of bay 2. A first-floor window, bay 3, has the remains of C17 masonry. The remaining windows are early C19 sashes and C20 casements, mostly in plain stone surrounds. Added C20 lean-to porch to left return of entrance bay. End stacks and ridge stack above entrance bay. Interior: ground floor, left, a chamfered fireplace with corbelled jambs and a flat mantle stone. The central room has an C18 plain stone fireplace, left, and a principal post with reset brace to left of a board door leading to the stone newel staircase in the centre of the rear wall. Ceiling beams and joists in the centre and left end rooms are C17, chamfered, with C19 restoration and replacement. First floor: 4 pairs of principal posts were seen at resurvey. The inner face is chamfered and carved with corbel-like tapering stops with 3 roll mouldings to the top and knobs to bases, the corbels supporting the chamfered arch braces. Above first-floor ceiling height the apex of 3 trusses were seen. The arch braces are fastened into the underside of a saddle linking the 2 principal rafters. A short king post on the collar carries the square set ridge. Short curved longitudinal braces between saddle and ridge are decorated with 4-petal flowers in relief. Cusped wind braces link the trusses to the 2 tiers of purlins and the rafters include reused timbers elaborately carved with roll mouldings. Although unique in this area, this elaborate roof structure resembles 2 houses in the Bradford area. Horbury Hall (c1480) and Liley Hall, Mirfield, (c1520) both in West Yorkshire, have been studied in detail (Rural Houses p. 206 and 201); Liley Hall had deep arch braces, saddle and short king post at the apex with 4-petal flower motif; at Horbury the arch-braced intermediate truss has cusped wind braces and the 4-petal flower motif occurs on a decorated cross-beam. Both these houses are near Wakefield; and John Kaye, an influential landowner in the later C15 in Kettlewell and Conistone (Raistrick p.50) had family links with nearby Warmfield cum Heath. A Raistrick, Old Yorkshire Dales, 1967. Colum Giles, Rural House of West Yorkshire, 1400-1830 , RCHM and Nest Yorkshire Metropolitan County Council, 1986

Listing NGR: SD9720472243