Tir Philip Farmhouse including attached barn

Tir Philip Farmhouse including attached barn

A substantial rural farmhouse comprising a main 17th-century north-south range with attached 18th-century wing and adjoining barn, now listed Grade II.

The core 17th-century range consists of a hall with inner rooms and a 3-bay byre, standing one and a half storeys high. It is constructed of painted rubble masonry under a slate roof with a central stack, now rendered. The east (rear) side was originally the front elevation. The primary entrance appears to have been a cross passage in the byre, accessed via double corrugated metal doors under a timber lintel, positioned just to the right of the stack. To the left of the stack are two original window openings: one to the hall is a 2-light casement under a substantial timber lintel, while that to the inner room (dairy) retains two timber ovolo-moulded mullions in the original frame. Two 20th-century gabled roof dormers are evident. To the right of the cross-passage doors is a window opening with timber struts and a hay loft opening above. The 20th-century French doors just left of the stack form a modern lobby entry but were not the original entrance.

The north gable end of the byre is particularly well preserved. In the attic storey are two timber diamond-mullion windows with dripstones, one above the other. Aligned below in the lower storey is a window with a central diamond mullion and timber struts. To its right is an entrance with stable doors; a similar opening to the left is now blocked. These doorways are linked by a long timber lintel. Above it sits a pentice with chamfered beam ends and a corrugated asbestos roof.

The current west front of the house features an added porch leading to the 18th-century wing, a lean-to structure against the 17th-century range. The 18th-century wing is two storeys, single unit, north-facing with notably thick walls, rendered under a slate roof with a rendered end stack. It contains an early 2-light casement window to the upper floor and a 20th-century window below. The byre of the 17th-century range has two long ventilation strips to its west side. The south gable of the 17th-century house has one small 20th-century window. The rear (south) of the 18th-century wing incorporates a lean-to kitchen with a corrugated asbestos roof and 20th-century metal-framed windows.

The barn adjoins the west side of the 18th-century range, constructed of rubble under slate roof to the north and corrugated metal to the south. It has a wide square-headed opening towards the right and a planked door to the left. In the attic are two loft hatches with planked doors. At the west end is a small lean-to with planked door.

Interior

The entrance leads into the 18th-century wing, containing two split-level ground floor rooms. The west side of the north room has a fireplace under a timber lintel and a bake oven.

The 17th-century house is accessed from the wing. A post and panel partition divides the hall from the former inner rooms, which were converted to a dairy. Two doorways pierce the partition; the eastern one has a carved head. The dairy contains part of a salting slab. The hall features four chamfered beams with cut stops and hooks for meat, one replaced. The substantial fireplace to the north has stone jambs and a chamfered timber lintel. To its left are curved fireplace stairs (stone covered with timber) leading to the attic storey. To the right of the fireplace is the original doorway into the byre. The hall and dairy have flagstone floors and originally had window openings to both east and west, all of which survive, with chamfered timber lintels and wide splayed reveals. The west-side window of the hall is blocked due to the 18th-century wing. The ovolo-mullioned window to the east of the dairy retains wooden shutters.

The byre is arranged on three levels stepping down to the north. The upper (south) level is a wide cross-passage with flagstones; the east opening is full height but the west opening is lower. The lowest (north) level contains stalls divided by north-south timber partitions, with cobbled floor and manger, and has a hay loft over. The roof structure is a three-bay collar truss, one of which is inscribed with the date 1639.

The attic storey has substantial rafters and two purlins. The beams were enclosed in the past and are now painted black, with surviving lath and plaster. Planked doors provide access throughout.