Farmyard complex in Smithstown

Farmyard complex, c.1875, probably incorporating fabric of earlier ranges, pre-1840, on site including: (i) Detached three-bay two-storey farmhouse with single-bay single-storey gabled projecting porch to ground floor, and single-bay single-storey lean-to return. Refenestrated. Hipped slate roof (continuing into lean-to to return; gabled to porch) with clay ridge tiles, red brick Running bond chimney stack having saw tooth-profiled course, decorative timber bargeboards to gable having finial to apex, and cast-iron rainwater goods on rendered eaves. Painted roughcast walls with rendered strips to ends, stringcourse to first floor, and rendered walls to porch having quoins to corners. Square-headed window openings with painted sills (forming part of stringcourse to first floor), and replacement uPVC casement windows retaining some two-over-two timber sash windows. Square-headed door opening with timber panelled door. Set back from road in own grounds with random rubble stone boundary wall having rubble stone piers. (ii) Detached two-bay single-storey outbuilding. Pitched slate roof with clay ridge tiles, and cast-iron rainwater goods on rubble stone eaves. Random rubble stone walls. Square-headed door openings with lintels, and tongue-and-groove timber panelled doors. (iii) Detached three-bay two-storey outbuilding with elliptical-headed carriageway to ground floor, and single-bay single-storey wing to right. Pitched slate roofs with clay ridge tiles, and cast-iron rainwater goods on rubble stone eaves. Random rubble stone walls. Square-headed window openings with lintels, and tongue-and-groove timber panelled fittings. Square-headed door openings (one to first floor approached by flight of eight steps having iron railing) with lintels, and tongue-and-groove timber panelled doors. Elliptical-headed carriageway to ground floor with squared rubble stone voussoirs, and fittings not visible.

A modest-scale farmyard complex exhibiting a traditional configuration of the farmhouse having attendant outbuilding ranges arranged about a shared courtyard with the resulting ensemble forming an appealing cluster in the rural landscape. While the retention of the original composition attributes together with much of the historic fabric maintains most of the integrity of the farmhouse the external expression has not benefited from the insertion of inappropriate replacement fittings to many of the openings. The attendant ranges presenting an early aspect enhance the positive contribution made to the character of the locality.