Marsh Farmhouse, Lach Dennis, Cheshire West and Chester

Summary

Timber-framed farmhouse, Cl7, later encased in brick probably in the C18 and C19.

Description

Timber-framed farmhouse, Cl7, later encased in brick probably in the C18 and C19, slate roof (coverings now mainly lost), two storeys.

PLAN: Irregular reverse L-shaped plan formed of front range and rear range with later infill extension (probably C18) to north-west corner. Peg holes at eastern end of front range's rear wall suggest that the front range has been truncated and that originally the front range formed a T-shaped plan with the rear range.

EXTERIOR: Small square framing with later brick nogging and encasing, framing visible externally to rear range and north-east corner of front range. Glazing and window frames lost to most windows. The front range is set upon a stone plinth, which is visible internally to the rear wall where the timber frame's sill sits upon the plinth.

Front (south) elevation: four bays, largely replaced in brick with some timbers visible at ground floor level internally. Slightly projecting, three course-deep brick band set between floor levels continues around front range. Early C18 stone doorway (door removed) to far left of ground floor with chamfered jambs and inscribed lintel with slightly curved soffit reading 'W I M 1707', probably erected when the elevation was replaced in brick. Wide window openings to both floors of bays two and four; that to ground floor of bay four retains a three-light casement frame. Bricked-up windows to both floors of centre bay; that to ground floor with a flat-arched brick lintel. Side gable walls of front range both have timber-framed apexes, now rendered externally but visible internally, and bargeboards. West gable end also has an end stack and window to ground floor left (frame and glazing lost). East gable end has a doorway (door removed) to ground floor right, a blocked-up window to left, and a three-light window to first floor centre. A large stack rises from south-east corner of front range. Two by four square timber-framing visible to eastern end of front range's north wall from which the rear range projects.

East elevation: East gable end of front range to far left, with four-bay rear kitchen range set back to right with visible square framing. Five-plank and batten door with strap hinges to ground floor of bay two and a multipaned casement window to ground floor of bay three. Tall window opening, with timber cross-frame now lost, to first floor of bay one and a wide window opening to first floor of bay three set immediately below the eaves and between timbers. A very deep stack occupying bay four and the presence of a raised rail suggest the loss of a fire window and the rear range's original use as a kitchen range.

West elevation: Gabled bay to left forms part of C18 infill extension and incorporates later brickwork. Three-light multipaned casement windows to each floor, and a chimneystack to the north-west corner. Small, extended, single-storey outshut with a slate roof to centre of elevation. West gable end of front range to right.

Rear (north) elevation: Gabled bay to left with visible timbers forms north gable end of kitchen range, two small windows to first floor right and gable apex. C18 extension to right projects forward and is blank apart from a doorway to ground floor left with a replaced door.

Probable mid C19, small single-storey outbuildings (including piggery with integral hen-house) to east of farmhouse, and two long, parallel, 2-storey brick barn ranges to south of farmhouse, are not included in this listing.

INTERIOR: Loss of plaster following fire damage has revealed original timber framing and wattle and daub infill panels formed of hazel twigs. Some four and five-plank and batten doors survive, original stair has been lost. Many timbers are charred but most roof trusses survive, along with some rafters, ceiling joists and floorboards (the latter mainly in the rear range). Front range has Queen post and raking Queen strut roof trusses. A timber-framed internal wall with some surviving infill panels crosses north-south to east of centre on both floors, and a large decorative scrolled bracket (possibly reused from elsewhere) alongside the north wall supports a substantial beam crossing north-south. Flooring to first floor now lost. Fire surround and cast-iron grate to first floor of west gable end stack now removed, altered fireplace opening with segmental-arched head to ground floor below. Fireplace openings to both floors to south-east corner of front range; that to ground floor has a mid C20 surround. Small storage room immediately behind front range to rear left with wide-chamfered and stopped beams to eastern two-thirds and later, lean-to, roofed section to western end. Rear right ground floor room of kitchen range with a substantial wide-chamfered beam running east-west with no visible stops, large C19 cast-iron range to north wall. Rear left room of C18 infill extension with substantial narrow-chamfered beams running north-south, later ladder-style stair, small furnace to north-west corner, and visible square framing to east wall (originally external wall of rear kitchen range). Upper floors not accessible.

History

Marsh Farmhouse is believed to have been constructed as a timber-framed farmhouse in the C17 and was later encased in brick, probably in both the C18 and C19. An extension to the rear left of the building is believed to have been added in the C18 when the building was encased in brick.

Outbuildings to the east and south of the building are believed to have been constructed in the mid-late C19. On the 1st edition 1:2500 Ordnance Survey (OS) map published in 1877 the building is depicted as Yarwood's Farm, but by the time of the publication of the 2nd edition Ordnance Survey (OS) map in 1898 it had acquired its current name of Marsh Farmhouse.

Marsh Farmhouse is believed to have last been inhabited in c1990 and has remained empty since. It suffered an arson attack in mid-April 2008.

Reasons for Listing

Marsh Farmhouse, a C17 farmhouse later encased in brick, is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Architectural interest: It is an interesting survival of a C17 timber-framed farmhouse that was enlarged and updated in the C18 and C19
* Legibility: Despite suffering substantial fire damage in 2008 a significant proportion of its original C17 timber framing survives and its early origins and developmental history remain legible
* Interior survival: Many original and early interior features survive, including chamfered beams, roof trusses, some four- and five-panel doors, along with a large C19 cast-iron range

External Links

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