This picture by Frank Bennett and reproduced here with his permission, first appeared on the Images of England site.
This was taken in May 2000 and shows the farmhouse on Apethorne Lane.
Originally 15th century but with external walls and other features of the C17 to C19. Cruck-framed with brick and squared rubble walls and a graduated stone slate roof. Originally a 4-bay cruck-framed open-hall house (probably a long-house) but with a floor inserted in the C17 and other alterations during conversion to cottages.
The elevation consists of a small gabled wing in bay 1, and a second bay both of which are in stone. The other 3 bays are in brick and have 3 doors relating to their use as a shippon. One ridge chimney. The east elevation, again with 3 bays in brick and the remainder in stone has 3 dormer windows rising from the eaves, one of them gabled. The gable onto the road has one ground floor window and a sash window above.
It is an important example of an early house-type few of which remain in Greater Manchester.
This very farm was the home to my father's family at one time. I think they rented it for a while when most of his family worked down the lane at Gibralter Mill. That was long before I was born, it must have been in the 1920/30s As kids we played there, even sleeping out in the barn, the buildings are now in a poor state which is such a shame to see...
ReplyDeletevery interesting - does it not belong to anyone who would like to repair it at least partly so that it doesn't present a safety risk?
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