Middle Parks Farmhouse

Farmhouse dating from the 14th or 15th century, with a 16th-century addition, early 18th-century and mid-19th-century encasing, and minor 20th-century additions and alterations. The building is constructed of timber framing, encased with limestone ashlar, red brick in English bond, and rubble walling, with a Westmorland slate roof.

The house is L-shaped in plan, two storeys high, with each wing containing three bays. The south elevation features an advanced wing to the right with early 18th-century brick encasing to the side walls and first-floor bands. The 16th-century end wall has an ashlar ground floor and brick first floor with stone dressings and quoins. The ground floor displays a central recessed and chamfered mullion window with three round-headed lights and a hoodmould. The first floor has a recessed and chamfered surround with hoodmould and a 3-light side sliding glazing bar sash. The recessed wing to the west has a 19th-century porch in the angle and scattered 20th-century fenestration.

The east elevation has a four-panel door to the left of centre with a blind window above. Three 16-pane sashes light the ground floor below flat brick arches, with three four-pane sashes to the first floor. Hipped roofs with gables to the eastern wing are crowned by large brick ridge stacks to either wing and an external brick stack to the rear of the east wing.

The interior contains four pairs of substantial timber posts to each wing, mostly with side braces and large cambered tie beams. The roof of the west range has eight collared common rafters with smoke blackening on those adjacent to the 17th-century brick stack. The east wing also has a common rafter roof with hips to either end. Floors in the east range incorporate many grooved partition studs.

A plain dogleg staircase rises through two floors on carriage planks with 20th-century balusters and newels, probably in its original position at the north-west junction of the two wings. The south room on the ground floor of the east range has a 17th-century plasterwork ceiling with ribwork panels decorated with pendants and roses, and a moulded cornice to the east and west sides. This room also contains an arched fireplace with a broken pedimented overmantle. A similar fireplace exists in the room above, with plaster shields in cartouches. An early 18th-century 2-light timber mullion window lights the northern first-floor room in the east range, which also contains an early 19th-century fireplace.

The site formerly occupied one of the Archbishop of York's hunting lodges within Ripon Park. The building was unoccupied at the time of re-survey.