| Description | West Farm, South Kirkby (SE 45508 09728). Late 18th century laithe house.
This house was the subject of an archaeological assessment by Colum Giles in June 1978 as part of the WYAS/RCHME Rural Houses Survey. The photographic images and plan sketch are held by WYAAS. The field work report is transcribed below:
'This is a stone laithe house of the late 18th century. The house is of two and a half storeys and has a central entry. The interior was not inspected, but the plan probably gave two main rooms with smaller service rooms at the rear. This basic plan has been supplemented by a 19th century wing projecting to the rear, Each of the main rooms is heated; the western stack of the original build is of brick, the other of stone: this suggests the possibility that the stack between house and laithe is an addition.
The laithe is small, and has double doors in the north wall. The south wall has two small doors. The original farm accommodation probably combined space for storage of crops with room for livestock. 19th century additions to the range have given further cowshed/stable room of the ground floor, with a granary over. The farm yard is arranged on a court yard plan, with added calf shed and original(?) single storey cowsheds.'
(Giles, C. 1978. 'West Farm, Broad Lane')
The house and laithe appear extant and in use as a farm on current online mapping resources (http://maps.google.co.uk/. Web site accessed 08/05/2013). |