Grofft

Grofft is a farmhouse, likely dating from the 17th century, with later extensions, particularly in the 18th century. It started as a building of two storeys, possibly with a three-unit plan. It has been extended to the south with a parlour wing, to the north with an outshut, and to the west with two bays that probably served as domestic accommodation, originally converted from a granary above a cartshed.

The original structure was probably timber-framed, although box-framing is now visible only in the southeast corner of the main range. The rest of the building is of rubble stone, some lime-rendered, with cement render to the parlour wing and the south wall of the main range. The south wall of the western addition is clad in slate. The roof is random slate, with a lateral stone stack (now partially encased in the outshut) and a rendered end stack to the parlour wing.

The main entrance, with a panelled door, is in the timber-framed southeast corner, immediately east of the parlour wing, with a 12-pane horned sash window above. A single uPVC window is found on each floor beyond the parlour wing, the ground floor window retaining a stone hoodmould. Similar windows are present in the western wall of the parlour wing. The extension to the west has two open bays on the ground floor, with two small-pane windows above; the right-hand window is a sash. An external stone staircase is set against the west gable end.

The north elevation features an outshut against the easternmost bays of the main range, including a stone stack with a brick shaft, a C20 door, a uPVC window, and a flat-roofed dormer; skylights are also present in the roof. To the right, two small wooden windows are visible on the first floor of the western addition. A small breeze block shed sits in the angle with the outshut.

Adjoining the east end of the house is a single-storey, L-shaped farm building of rubble stone, lime-washed on the south side. The short range, aligned with the house, has a slate roof and a small window on the south side. The main range, at right angles, is built on boulder footings, with part of the front (east) wall rebuilt in slate blocks and covered by a corrugated metal roof. This rebuilt section incorporates full-height planked double doors offset to the right of centre, along with a hatch with a planked door. Another hatch to the left, in the original stonework, contains corrugated plastic sheeting. The south gable end has a planked door and corrugated sheeting, presumably covering a first-floor doorway. There are no openings to the west gable end, but the gable is slightly inset, suggesting rebuilding or alteration.

The interior of the farmhouse was not accessible at the time of inspection.