Farm Courtyard, Backaskaill Mains, Sanday

Backaskaill Mains is a farm complex dating to circa 1863, with later additions. It comprises a two-storey, three-bay, near-symmetrical farmhouse, a single-storey range to the left forming a rear (west) range of a rectangular farm courtyard situated to the south of the farmhouse, and further single-storey farm building ranges completing the yard with a two-storey, pyramidal-roof centrepiece to the east range. A modern detached single-storey, two-bay garage sits to the north of the house, and two large, modern corrugated-iron sheds are also situated to the north of the main complex.

The farmhouse is constructed of roughly coursed, harl-pointed rubble with sandstone ashlar dressings to the centrepiece. Ancillary farm buildings are of harl-pointed random rubble. The principal (east) elevation of the farmhouse features a window at ground level in the central bay, and a window above it on the first floor. There is a window at each floor in the bay to the right. A modern, part-glazed door with a rectangular fanlight is located at ground level in the bay to the left, with a window above. The rear (west) elevation has a smaller window at each floor in the central bay, and windows at each floor in the flanking bays.

The farmhouse predominantly has 12-pane timber sash and case windows. The roof is grey slate with a stone ridge, stone skews, corniced rubble multi-flue gablehead stacks, and uPVC rainwater goods.

The interior of the farmhouse includes a timber staircase against the south wall, with decorative cast-iron balusters and a timber handrail. Architraved, timber panelled doors are present at ground level. The remainder of the interior was not inspected in 1998.

The farm courtyard’s principal (east) range has a seven-bay, grouped 3-1-3 elevation. A segmental cart-arch is located at ground level in the two-storey centrepiece, with two evenly disposed windows above on the first floor. A weather vane sits atop the pyramidal roof. To the right are three bays: a boarded door in the centre bay, a doorway to the left, and a window to the right. To the left, there's a window in the central and right bays, and a large, modern sliding door in the left bay.

The south (threshing barn) range features a window at first floor level in the central bay, a window at each floor in the outer left bay, a small ground-floor window in the bay to the right, and a window at each floor in the penultimate bay to the right. A blocked door is visible at first-floor level in the gabled bay to the outer right. The east (gabled) elevation shows two evenly disposed ground-floor windows and a centred first-floor window.

Farm building interiors were not inspected in 1998. The farm buildings have timber-framed windows, grey slate roofs, stone ridges, rubble corniced gablehead and ridge stacks to the east range, stone skews, and uPVC rainwater goods.