North Cowton Grange

Farmhouse. Early to mid-17th century, possibly built for Bryan Smithson, a Recusant, or for Margaret Stancy. The building is constructed of rubble with ashlar dressings and has an artificial stone slate roof.

The house is L-shaped with two storeys arranged in two bays, with a one-bay wing projecting to the front left. The west front comprises a south range set back from the line, with quoins to the right. To the left is a boarded door in a chamfered ashlar surround with a triangular head, alongside a 20th-century casement window set within the partial surround of a four-light mullion window. On the first floor is a 20th-century casement window set within a surround of a three-light chamfered mullion window, with a stack at the end right. To the right stands a 20th-century rendered brick range of no special interest. The inner south return of the projecting west range has quoins to the left. Here is a blocked ashlar doorway with interrupted jambs and triangular head, to the left of which is a 20th-century casement window within the partial surround of a four-light mullion window. The first floor carries a 20th-century casement window within a three-light mullion surround. A shaped kneeler and ashlar coping finish to the left. The gable end of the west range displays a large external chimney stack that is quoined and stepped. The rear south range has quoins and a central 20th-century six-panel door. To the left are a blocked two-light (formerly four-light) chamfered mullion window on the ground floor and a three-light chamfered mullion window with iron stanchions on the first floor. To the right are two blocked lights and two side-sliding sashes belonging to a four-light chamfered mullion window with part drip-mould on the ground floor, and an altered five-light chamfered mullion window on the first floor. A shaped kneeler and ashlar coping finish to the right. End stacks feature early brick upper sections and circular brick chimneys. The right return has paired first-floor windows. To the left, there is a surround of a two-light mullion window with cyma recta drip-mould on the ground floor, a blocked two-light window with stanchion and external stack on corbels on the first floor, and a single light in the gable. To the right are a two-light mullion window with stanchions and cyma recta drip-mould on the ground floor and a two-light casement window on the first floor.

The interior of the west range contains an inglenook fireplace hidden in the ground-floor room, with steps leading up to a priest's hole. A large ceiling beam with stepped peg-holes occupies the ground-floor room. Part of the stone surround of a large fireplace is hidden in the ground-floor room of the south range. Oak beams and joists, chamfered and stopped, appear in the first-floor room.

Historical context: The grange of Fountains Abbey, excavated in 1962, lay further north closer to the farm now called Halnaby Grange. It was destroyed in the early 14th century by Scottish raids, but timber-framed buildings were subsequently reconstructed, lasting until a severe fire destroyed them very late in the 16th century. The present stone building was then constructed further south. Thomas Smithson, receiver of the abbey's rents, took up residence at the Dissolution without legal authority. He and his descendants, who were Recusants, remained there until sometime before 1657, when Margaret Stancy, beneficiary of a will, was in residence.