Birchwood Farmhouse

Birchwood Farmhouse is a farmhouse built in the early to mid 19th century, located on the east side of Ripley Main Street. It is part of the estate village established by Sir William Amcotts Ingilby. The building is constructed from coursed squared gritstone and features a Westmorland slate roof. It has two storeys and is arranged in a three by two bay layout, designed in the Gothick style.

The farmhouse has a plinth and three steps leading up to a central three-panel door, which has interlaced glazing bars and a pointed overlight above. The door is topped with a pointed-arched head that features a double chamfer adorned with flower heads in relief, with the chamfers ending in shields displaying the Ingilby star at impost level. All windows are pointed sashes with interlaced glazing bars, and the two-piece arched lintels also have a star motif at impost level, similar to the doorway. Each opening is framed by square hoodmoulds. The building has a moulded eaves cornice and a shallow blocking course, topped with a hipped roof that has two paired octagonal flued corniced stacks at the rear, one on the left and one on the right.

On the left return, the first-floor window matches the front, while there are blind windows to the right on both the ground and first floors. Sir William's father, Sir John, who died in 1815, was responsible for rebuilding the Castle. Sir William incorporated the flower motif, Ingilby star, two-piece lintel, and window design from the pedestrian entrance to the gatehouse and the windows of the north range of the Castle into several houses in the village. Horngarth is identical, while Vale Lodge and Castle Close differ only in chimney position, and Star House and Cottage are similar in style.