Reasons for Designation
Sand Hole farmhouse, dating from the C17, is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Date: the form of the house, with a large, full-depth housebody with chamfered cross beams and fire-window for gable inglenook; smaller parlour and kitchen; and roof structure including original hewn collar beam truss with curved struts, indicate a C17 date
* Regional Distinctiveness: this is a vernacular yeoman's house built of local sandstone rubble with a stone slate roof, and horizontal stone mullion windows with stone hood moulds with label-stops over
Details
335/0/10075 SAND HOLE LANE
15-FEB-11 Sand Hole farmhouse
II
Yeoman's house. C17. Sandstone rubble, stone flags, Welsh slates
PLAN: Large, full-depth housebody with fire-window for gable inglenook, doorway (with later porch) in centre of main (S) front opening into rear of room, doorway in N wall opening into rear of room (two do not line up), smaller parlour, kitchen and larder, stair window indicates original stair location against or rising to centre of N wall.
EXTERIOR: South elevation has rendered walls and slate roof covering. Central doorway, with modern lean-to porch, with projecting wing to left (W) side. Wing has wide, three-light window on ground floor with double-chamfered stone frame with recessed chamfered mullions; stone hood mould with label-stop to left end (historic photograph from 1950s prior to rendering shows a secondary blocked doorway hard against the right-hand side of the window truncating the hood mould). Main housebody to the right of porch has a six-light mullioned window with a two-light mullioned fire-window to the extreme right. Both have similar double-chamfered stone frames with recessed chamfered mullions, and a hood mould over running the length of the wall. On first floor of wing is a central four-light mullion window, the right light blocked, with a single-chamfered stone frame with flush chamfered mullions and hood mould with label-stops. Over porch is an inserted two-light window with flat ashlar surround and mullion, to right is three-light window (fourth blocked light on left side now rendered over) with single-chamfered stone frame with flush chamfered mullions.
North elevation has rendered wall and stone slate roof covering. Doorway set left of centre with heavily chamfered and stopped jambs and slightly pointed head, in porch with single-pitch roof rising to left to avoid stair window. From left on ground floor is a four-light mullioned window with double-chamfered frame with recessed chamfered mullions, and hood mould with label-stops. Right of porch is a square window with double-chamfered stone frame with hood mould over. In centre of elevation at intermediate level is a three-light stair window with flush chamfered mullions and partial hood mould. To left at first-floor level is a three-light window with flush chamfered mullions and to right is a four-light window with double-chamfered frame with recessed chamfered mullions and hood mould.
East gable wall shows original stone rubble wall where former cottage attached. Blocked doorway to extreme right with no proper jambs or lintel. Cut-off timber at mid-height, originally projecting northwards, with larger squared stone on each side (probably associated with demolished cottage). Rendered stone ridge stack.
West gable wall rebuilt in brick on top of original wall, which forms plinth. First-floor window to right. Brick ridge stack.
INTERIOR: Features of interest include three chamfered oak cross beams, some with visible stops, in the main housebody, and lateral beams in parlour and kitchen/larder. Stone chimney piece against east gable wall reconstructed since 1950s. Roof structure has original hewn collar beam truss with curved struts, infilled with wattle and daub and plastered, with small central doorway (second probable similar truss to east not accessible), hewn purlins and ridge post, and joists on north side (side with original stone flag roof). Towards west end of roof is a modern machine-sawn king-post truss supporting the original purlins.
HISTORY: Deed papers for Sand Hole Farm survive back to 1726, but the appearance and layout of the house indicates a C17 date, and the size indicates that it was built as a yeoman's house. The house, attached cottage (demolished), and L-shaped barn and cowhouse/stable range are shown on the 1851 Ordnance Survey map. Other agricultural buildings were built over the course of the C20.
The west gable wall of the house has been rebuilt in brick since the 1950s.
SOURCES
Smith, W J, Saddleworth Buildings (1987)
Pearson, S, Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, Supplementary Series:10, Rural Houses of the Lancashire Pennines 1560 to 1760 (1985)
REASONS FOR DESIGNATION
Sand Hole farmhouse, dating from the C17, is listed at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Date: The form of the house, with a large, full-depth housebody with chamfered cross beams and fire-window for gable inglenook; smaller parlour and kitchen; and roof structure including original hewn collar beam truss with curved struts, indicate a C17 date
* Regional Distinctiveness: this is a vernacular yeoman's house built of local sandstone rubble with a stone slate roof, and horizontal stone mullion windows with stone hood moulds with label-stops over
