Butterhill

Butterhill is a large country house, dating from the 18th century and largely remodelled in the 1830s. It is constructed of roughcast over rubble stone and some red brick, with a slate roof, partly collapsed, and substantial stone and brick chimneys. The main front elevation is a plain three-storey, eight-window arrangement with raised stucco bands separating the floors. Most windows are now absent, but it is known that the small square upper windows originally had 16-pane sashes, and the long, narrow windows elsewhere had 8-pane sashes. A large, rendered porch was added in the 19th century, spanning the doorway in the fourth bay and a window in the fifth bay; it was originally corniced and had a parapet, much of which has decayed. At the left end of the front, there are two large external stone and brick stacks connected by a parapet. The rear roof has one stone and brick ridge stack marking the division between the original section and a later three-bay eastern addition, and a brick stack on the eastern end.

The rear elevation is three-storeys with a basement, featuring a seven-window range, with a two-window range on the left end that is not as high as the front. A slight projection, likely for a stair, is situated in the centre, and a second stair or chimney projection is towards the west end.

A lower, three-storey range extends from the west end, heavily overgrown with ivy but exhibiting a large rubble stone stack and a southwest angle stack. The rear of this western range has small 16-pane sashes, two to the second floor, one to the first floor centre, and one to the ground floor centre. There is a further short gabled section extending westward. Windows on the east end are mostly blocked, and remnants of slate-hanging remain on the east gable.

The house was ruinous in 1998. The interior was largely remodelled in the 1830s, with remnants of plastered beams including rosette decoration. Further alterations occurred in the early 20th century to fireplaces and wall plaster. The main staircase, probably from the 19th century, is largely collapsed, with stick balusters and a moulded rail; a top flight of twisted balusters may be of older date, but is currently inaccessible. Both parallel roof ranges feature pegged collar trusses, with the rear roof potentially being older. One rear roof truss is said to be dated 1830. A few plain panelled 19th-century window shutters survive. The basement at the east end of the house contains two and possibly three parallel stone barrel vaulted rooms.