| Description | Bog Eggs Farm (Allswell Farm), Wadsworth. Early 18th century laithe house.
Bog Eggs Farm (now Allswell Farm) was the subject of a planning application in 2004 for 'Conversion and alterations to existing farmhouse and adjoining barn to form 3 dwellings' (Calderdale Council planning application reference number
04/00649/CON). WYAAS archives holds the architect's plan and a photocopy of a set of photographic prints which relate to this application (Roger Munday Architect and Planning Supervisor. 2004: Anon. c.2004).
The plans and photographic images depict a house with barn and attached cottage in a linear plan. The range is stone built with a roughly north south alignment. The west elevation is the principal elevation. The house and cottage are two storey and share a continuous roof line with the barn. The angles are quoined and the stone slate roof is gabled with copings and kneelers at both ends which suggests a contemporary build for the three elements. The two chimneys stacks are situated on the ridge at the party walls between house and barn and the house and cottage. Although not entirely clear on the photographic images, the windows appear to have recessed chamfered mullions and bevelled surrounds.
The cottage occupies a cell at the northern end of the range and is partly back to earth due to the slope of the land. The western elevation has a shallow arch headed door and two narrow single light windows on the ground floor. The first floor has a two light window. The rear eastern elevation has a four light window on the ground floor and a three light window on the first floor. The cottage appears from the plan to be unheated.
The house occupies the central two cells. The house also has a shallow arch headed door on the western elevation. The ground floor has three two light windows, one to the north of the door and two to the south. The windows on the first floor, from north to south, consists of a three light window and three two light windows, the first of which is slightly smaller. The rear ground floor, from north to south, has a five light window and two four light windows. The first floor has two two light windows and a four light window. Entry is into passage which runs between a small room subdivided from the housebody and a wall separating the two cells (no evidence for a through passage). A doorway from the passage enters a service room in the southern cell which then connects to a heated parlour or kitchen. The housebody is also heated. A doorway from the housebody also connects to the cottage cell.
The barn has two bays. The northern bay contains two opposing cart entrances, both now partially blocked to form windows. The southern bay has opposing pedestrian entrances situated against the southern gable wall which enter a corridor serving a probable mistal area. The gable wall of the barn has a circular vent or owl hole situated low down in the gable apex.
Extending the southern end is a single storey stone built outshut with an attached lean to shed.
Bog Eggs Farm was depicted and named in 1849 and was situated in an intake of land at the edge of Wadsworth Moor (OS 1st edition 6'. 1849. Sheet 215). The farm is probably an example of a laithe house of the 18th century (possibly early 18th century if the mullions turnout to be chamfered).
(Lunn, K.R. (WYAAS). 2013. Description of Bog Eggs Farm based on architects plans, photographic images and historic mapping. Description found digital record only and not on file at WYAAS),
Now three cottages (OS Master Map. 2011). |