1 Preston Farm Cottages, Preston

1 Preston Farm Cottages, Preston

A late 19th-century range of four farm cottages, originally built as nine units, arranged in a near-symmetrical U-plan around a central green. The buildings are single storey with attic accommodation.

The cottages are constructed from squared and snecked tooled cream sandstone rubble with sandstone ashlar dressings, although some rendered alterations have been made. The detailing includes droved quoins and droved long and short surrounds to openings. Rendered mullions feature on bipartite windows, and projecting cills run throughout, some painted.

The front (south) elevation is the principal façade. A central 16-bay range contains a 2-bay gabled projection at its centre with single windows in both bays at ground level and a single attic window centred in the gablehead. To the right of this is a 7-bay recessed range with two slightly advanced, gabled entrances offset to the left (No 2 with a part-glazed timber door) and right (No 1, where the ground floor opening is infilled). The remaining bays contain single and bipartite windows. To the left of the central projection is a further 7-bay recessed range, also with two slightly advanced gabled entrances offset to the right (No 4 with a part-glazed timber door) and left (No 5, with an infilled opening at ground); a boarded timber door appears in the outer right bay. A gabled wing projects from the outer right (No 1) with a single window at ground offset to the right and an attic window centred in the gablehead; a blind full-height block stands slightly recessed to its outer right. Similarly, a gabled wing projects from the outer left (No 5) with matching fenestration and a recessed blind elevation to its outer left.

The east side elevation of No 1 shows a 3-bay gabled wing advanced to the outer left with a narrow window at ground offset left of centre and single windows in the flanking bays. A 2-bay wing is recessed to the right with bipartite windows in both bays. A blind elevation to a lean-to addition stands slightly recessed to the outer right.

The rear (north) elevation contains a gabled bay at No 3, recessed at the centre, with a 2-leaf boarded timber garage door centred at ground and a single window aligned above. A single window appears at ground in a bay slightly recessed to the right, and a boarded timber door stands in a bay slightly recessed to the left. Lean-to ranges project from the outer left (Nos 1 and 2) and outer right (Nos 4 and 5), each featuring regularly-spaced boarded timber and part-glazed timber doors with single windows in remaining bays; blind gableheads are recessed to both outer ends.

The west side elevation of No 5 mirrors the east side arrangement, with a 3-bay gabled wing advanced to the outer right with a narrow window at ground offset right of centre, single windows in flanking bays, and a recessed 2-bay wing to the left with bipartite windows. A blind elevation to a lean-to addition is slightly recessed to the outer left.

Windows throughout are predominantly timber sash and case with 4-pane glazing, though some retain 8-pane or 12-pane configurations. Small rooflights are present. The roofs are finished in grey slate with stone coped skews and bracketed skewputts. Coped red brick ridge stacks and various circular cans provide ventilation.

The interiors have not been inspected.

Cobbled paths are set to the front of the cottages. A heavily-pointed low rubble boundary wall flanks the central stair and encloses the site to the front, with spearheaded iron railings.