Old Kemeys

Old Kemeys is an early 17th century, two-storey, three-bay farmhouse constructed of coursed local sandstone rubble. The building is set into a bankside at the east gable end. The roof slopes to the north are covered with pantiles, while the southern slope has natural slate. Two gabled rubble stacks are present on the main range. A single-storey, gabled kitchen range is attached to the west end, with a rubble chimney to its gable.

The north-facing front elevation features three small, square windows on the first floor with modern casements in original openings, each having exposed timber lintels. The ground floor also has three small, square windows, with the two at the west end having crude stone hoodmoulds. A small, rectangular window at the west end of the main range, also with a hoodmould, lights a dry cupboard. The south-facing rear elevation has a lean-to stair outshut at the west end, with small rectangular stairlights. There are three windows to both ground and first floor; the two at the west end illuminate the hall and principal chamber and have wide, shallow openings with multi-paned 19th century casements. The ground floor windows at the west end also have crude hoodmoulds. Evidence of a former doorway is visible at the east end of the first floor. Originally accessed from the bankside to the rear, which has since been excavated.

The interior is remarkably intact from the early 17th century and retains significant features. The house has a sophisticated three-room plan, comprising a hall, an inner room (dining room) and a third cell subdivided to form a store room on the north side and a small kitchen on the south side. Entry is now via the 19th century kitchen at the west end, thus internalising what was formerly a gable entrance. The hall has a large open fire at the west end with a chamfered timber lintel, dressed stone jambs and an original dry cupboard on the north side. A finely panelled timber partition is located at the east end of the hall, with moulded rails and stiles and long, plain frieze panels above. Three large, unusually corbelled ceiling beams feature ovolo-derived moulding, along with exposed joists with scratch mouldings to the lower face and an exposed, broad oak boarded ceiling. Original splayed window openings have contemporaneous window seats, and boarded doors are found throughout the ground floor. A cranked stone stair rises on the south side. The inner room is unheated and has three crude chamfered beams; joists are not exposed. The rear face of the timber partition is characterised by simple scratch mouldings to the stiles and rails. The south room contains a smaller kitchen fire with a chamfered timber lintel and an oven built into the south jamb.