Steading With Chimney, Broomdykes

Steading with Chimney, Broomdykes

A substantial mid-19th-century steading built by William J Gray, with later alterations and modern additions. The complex comprises a continuous range to the north with south and west ranges set to the south, enclosing a courtyard with modern sheds. The buildings are constructed of whinstone and sandstone rubble with droved ashlar dressings throughout.

The north range is the principal element, presenting a complex south elevation of multiple functional groupings. Reading from left to right, there is a nine-bay group to the outer left serving as cartshed and granary, with eight segmental-arched cart openings at ground level in each bay except the outer left which has a boarded door. Enlarged openings at first floor occur in the penultimate bays and every other intermediate bay, and also at first floor of the outer left bay. A two-bay group to the left possibly functioned as a bagging barn and has been raised by a brick storey in recent years, with a boarded door in the left bay and double sliding door in the right bay, flanked to the outer right by a blinded window. A blinded window at first floor lights the right bay, and two windows serve the brick additional storey above.

The four-bay group to the centre possibly represents a former threshing barn. It features a blinded door at ground level in the inner left bay, a blinded window in the outer left bay, and a blinded window opening at first floor between the inner and outer left bays. A large blinded opening appears at ground level in the inner right bay, and a partly-blinded door opening with an arrowslit at first floor above stands at ground in the final bay.

To the right of centre is a three-bay group with a blinded window at ground in the centre and a blinded window at first floor above it, with a gabled dormerhead. Blinded door openings occupy the flanking bays. The outermost four-bay group to the right mirrors the three-bay arrangement, with the outer left bay containing a segmental-arched opening and blinded doors in the inner left and outer right bays.

The north elevation features a half-blinded double door opening at ground level in the bay adjacent to an enginehouse projection serving the four-bay central group, with an enlarged opening to the east return elevation. An ashlar base supports a brick round-plan coped chimney stack to the left. A door provides access to the west return elevation. A single-storey lean-to addition flanks the two-bay group to the left of centre. The granary and cartshed group to the west displays five enlarged openings at first floor with a modern door opening at ground in the outer left bay. The east elevation is gabled and fitted with a modern corrugated two-leaf sliding door. The west elevation is also gabled, with a vented and glazed window opening at ground to the right. The slate roof to the granary and cartshed contrasts with corrugated asbestos covering the remaining sections, with some modern metal ridge vents. Coped ashlar skews finish the gables.

The east range is a single-storey structure recently converted in 1996 into four units, two of which are cottages. The west elevation is grouped 3-1-3-3. A segmental-arched opening with two louvred doors occupies the single bay group. A segmental-arched opening centrally placed in the left three-bay group has flanking windows. The inner left three-bay group displays a window at centre with a boarded door in the left bay and two windows in the right bay. The outer right three-bay group has a boarded door at centre with flanking windows. On the east elevation, a boarded door and window occupy the inner left group. A segmental-arched opening in the outer left group is fitted with a modern glazed and boarded door with flanking lights. Modern windows serve each flanking bay and the centre position. A modern screen wall to the left of the inner right group shields a gas pig, with a vented window in the right bay. The outer right group has blank bays. Modern plate glass timber sash and case windows are employed throughout. The slate roof features modern vents and dividing skews for each unit, with brick apex stacks between units except between the penultimate and final units to the south, where a wallhead brick stack is positioned. The interior was not inspected at the time of survey in 1996.

The west range comprises stables, sheds and a carriage house to the south. The south elevation is gabled with stugged ashlar and a segmental-arched opening at ground level containing a two-leaf boarded door with a window to the gablehead above. The east elevation shows whinstone and sandstone rubble with droved ashlar dressings except at the south end which is stugged ashlar. Seven bays are grouped to the right (north). A modern window with concrete lintel occupies the centre position. Boarded doors appear in the immediate right bay and in the penultimate right bay, with a two-leaf boarded door in the penultimate right bay also. A boarded sliding door stands in the penultimate left bay, flanked by windows to each adjacent bay, the one in the inner left bay being slatted. A modern corrugated asbestos roof with ashlar coped skews covers the structure. The interior was not inspected in 1996.