Mill Grove

Mill Grove is a farmhouse that was originally an abbey infirmary, later becoming a vicarage. It likely dates back to 1472 when the infirmary was ordered to be rebuilt, although it probably includes parts of an earlier structure. The building underwent extensive reconstruction in 1664, as indicated by an inscription referencing Robert Farish and Frances, his wife, who was the miller for the nearby Abbey Mill. There is also a later extension from the late 17th century or early 18th century.

The exterior features large blocks of coursed red sandstone set on a chamfered plinth, primarily made from stone sourced from Holme Cultram Abbey. The roof is covered with Welsh slate and has coped gables and kneelers, with brick chimney stacks on a stone base to the left. The building is two storeys high and has three bays on the left, which likely date from the 15th century, followed by two bays from the mid-17th century, and a three-bay extension on the right, all under a common roof.

The projecting left two-bay section includes a partly-recessed two-storey stone bow with mullioned windows, positioned to the right of two small chamfered windows that are topped with hood moulds. There is a buttress to the right of the bow window. A larger chamfered-surround casement window sits under a hood mould to the right, below a two-pane sash window framed in a painted stone architrave. The central door, which is from the 20th century, is set in a painted chamfered surround beneath an inscribed lintel with a straight chamfer and a flattened Tudor arch, topped with a carved hood mould. The building features sash windows with glazing bars on the ground floor and two-pane sashes above, all set in painted stone architraves. The extension on the right includes a 20th-century door with a glazed fanlight in a painted stone surround. The sash windows in this section also have glazing bars, with those on the ground floor in painted stone architraves.

The rear wall contains an early wall with a blocked entrance and flanking niches, while an arched recess under the stair extension appears to be medieval. Inside, there is a large stone arched inglenook and a similar dividing arch in the principal room of the older part of the building. A further extension to the right is of no interest, and the barn to the left is listed separately.