Old Park

Old Park is an L-shaped house of two storeys comprising four units, with a long north range and an adjoining west range, built in rubble stone under slate roofs. Most walls are rendered or roughcast, except the south wall of the west range which remains as exposed rubble stone. End stacks and the ridge of the west range are rendered. The roof trusses visible at the north end have shallow chamfered collars, two purlins, and rafters pegged at the apex.

The north range features a cross-passage with staircase close to the angle, with doorways at each end. The main entrance on the exterior east side was originally within the scar of a gabled porch. The flat-headed doorway is sunk-chamfered with filleted stops, and scrolled brackets support a high moulded cornice, containing a planked door. This east wall has five windows, mostly 2-light casements in yellow brick surrounds with segmental heads. Three gabled half-dormers have windows aligned with ground floor windows. The doorway is positioned between the centre and right dormers, with a small window above it. A tall single light window sits between the centre and left dormer. The north gable end has a narrow window to the upper storey, offset to the left.

At the interior angle where the ranges meet, facing towards the farmyard, are three doorways. The west end of the cross-passage contains a ribbed door within a chamfered Tudor-arched doorway with hour-glass stops. The spandrels of the arch bear incised motifs, and a moulded square hood crowns the opening. To its right is an original single light window with flat head and sunk-chamfered surround. The remaining windows match those to the east side, with one to the left and two in the upper storey. Two further dressed doorways with planked doors lead into the kitchens in the west range. The left doorway is chamfered with a flat head under a keeled relieving arch of narrow stones with a keystone. The right doorway is chamfered with diagonal stops and a segmental head and keystone, above which sits a segmental relieving arch of narrow stones. Between the doorways is a 2-light casement window, with three irregularly placed windows to the upper storey having flat heads. A small bunker with pitched roof stands against the west gable end.

The exterior south wall of the west range is rubble stone. The gable of the north range projects slightly, possibly due to the stack. Windows are irregularly spaced in yellow brick surrounds, as on the east side. Two gabled half-dormers sit to the left of the gable end, which has an upper storey window offset to the right. A further small window is just to the left of the gable end at first floor level. On the ground floor, two windows are aligned beneath the dormers, both with stone relieving arches, with a further small window between them. A similar window under a relieving arch is offset to the left in the gable end and may replace a doorway.

The four-unit plan-form has been retained, though room functions have changed. The hall, now the kitchen, is entered through the flat-headed doorway in the west range and has three cross-beams which are boarded over but chamfered. A fireplace to the right is now covered, and there is said to have been a former cross-corner fireplace stair to its right. A modern dog-leg stair stands to the left of the fireplace, along with the entrance to what was known as the 'tin' kitchen, which also has a now-covered fireplace in its west end wall. A doorway leads from the hall left into the parlour, now the living room. It has a twentieth-century fireplace on the south lateral wall, thought to be in the position of an original fireplace. A window to its right has a prominent voussoir head. There are three cross-beams with ogee stops. North of the parlour, at right angles, is the central stair-passage with external doorways to east and west. It originally formed the access between the parlour and the kitchen, later converted to a dairy, making it an unusual location for an exceptionally ornate timber staircase. The open well stair features decorative turned balusters, moulded handrails, and large square newel posts with replaced acorn finials. The former dairy to the north has a large fireplace at the north end. Although boarded over, it has a massive chamfered Tudor-arched timber lintel with ogee stops and recesses to each side.