| Description | White Slack Farm House (demolished), Todmorden and Walsden. Stone house with laithe barn probably of the early 18th century. Demolished c.1987.
White Slack Farm House was the subject of two archaeological assessments by Peter Thornborrow, one in prior to and the other after demolition in 1987. The photographic images produced by the assessment are held by WYAAS (Thornborrow, P.H. (WYAS). 1987).
The images depict a two storey farm house with attached laithe barn with a roughly north south alignment in a linear plan. Only the front elevation (east?) and gable wall were visible. The house and barn are built of coursed sandstone quoined at both ends and appear to be of a single build. The gables have shaped kneelers.
The house, to the left of the range, has a six light window to the first floor, finishing at eave height. There is a similar sized window immediately below at ground floor level. To the immediate left of the ground floor window is a pedestrian entrance. To the right of this is a square single light window with a tall single light window above. The two end windows seem to occupy an area which forms part of the barn for above the top window is a blocked barn vent hole. This suggests that part of the barn was given over to domestic use, without further investigation the picture is not clear. Both multi light windows and the ground floor single light windows have chamfered surrounds and the mullions, where present, are chamfered. The gable wall of the house has a small opening on the ground floor (image not clear) and a taking in door on the first floor suggesting a loom shop or similar in this chamber.
The barn has an arched cart entrance which, if the windows to the left are inserted, is situated in the centre of the original elevation. At eave height are three square vents. At ground floor level against the right hand gable wall is a pedestrian entrance which probably entered a mistal area. An image of the barn's interior depicts the joists for a loft floor and a large stone arch separating the bays upon which purlins supporting the barn's roof rest.
White Slack Farm represents a Pennine laithe house with a slightly confusing linear plan. The confusion is caused by the presence of the single light window with chamfered surrounds which is situated in a bay which could belong to either the barn or the house. The blocked vent suggests that the barn was an original feature to which the window was added. The style of the windows is contemporary with those multi light windows associated with the house, and this suggests that the ground floor, at least, was originally a room belonging to the house, a dairy or service room. The house may have been original to which the roof and front was rebuilt when the laithe was added, or the barn and house may have been contemporary with either a service room added possibly with a reused window or the ground floor of the house always occupying part of the barn. The style of the windows suggests a late 17th to early 18th century date, the features of the barn appear slightly later.
The house was demolished in 1987. The area is currently undeveloped and the out line of the building is visible as earthwork features (http://www.bing.com/maps/. Web site accessed 04/10/2013).
(Lunn, K.R. (WYAAS). 2013, Description of White Slack Farm House based on photographic images. Description found in the digital record only and not on file at WYAAS). |