| Description | Marsh House, Warmfield cum Heath.
'Large dressed stone, Welsh blue slate roof though thatched originally. 2 cell direct entry plan. 2 storeys. Three 1st floor windows. Continuous cyma moulded dripcourse, steps over doorway with composite jambs and depressed Tudor arched lintel with date, chamfered surround and spandrels. All windows have double chamfered surrounds, some replaced, of 4 lights, 2 lights and 4 lights with three 4 light windows to 1st floor. 2 stone ridge stacks, added external brick stack to right gable. Rear has chamfered mullioned window of 2 wide lights to left of doorway with monolithic lintel and a 4 pane window to right end.
Prominently sited on the edge of the Common'.
(English Heritage listed building description. Date listed 22/11/1966. http://list.english heritage.org.uk/resultsingle.aspx?uid=1135587. Web site accessed 07/02/2014).
Marsh House was the subject of a planning application in 2001 for 'Internal and external alterations' (Wakefield Council planning reference number 01/99/59120/A). The consultation response and resulting specification for building recording were both provided by Peter Thornborrow (Senior Historic Buildings Officer. WYAS Advisory Service) (Thornborrow, P.H. (WYAS Advisory Service). 13/12/2001: Thornborrow, P.H. (WYAS Advisory Service). 19/12/2001).
In the specification Thornborrow describes the historic interest:
'This is a mid 17th century cottage on the edge of the Village Green (or Common). Its distinctive feature is its long sloping roof that is suggestive of a thatched building. The listed building description refers to its two cell direct entry plan having an almost central door. A moulded drip mould is carried across the facade above the windows and steps above the door. In the past the weathered stonework has been replaced above the door but with an inaccurate moulding to the cyma recta moulding of the original. It has chamfered mullioned windows, but only to the right of the door is in its original form as a two light window retaining its mullion: all the other windows (on the ground) have had two mullions removed (originally four light). The list description suggests that the 1st floor windows were originally three lights retaining one mullion placed centrally.
An inspection of the interior reveals that the large eastern room has been subdivided to form a stair entrance hall with a cross wall (probably brick) added in the mid 20th century the walls clad in oak (and ply wood) panelling with a fireplace typical of the 1950s. The 'lounge' the original housebody has had the plaster removed on its eastern wall. This has revealed a large 17th century stone fireplace with a broad chamfered surround. This appears to have been reduced in size (in brick) in two stages during the 18th and 19th centuries. At this time it was covered with plaster on which is applied unusual painted decoration (possibly Regency in style) featuring small circles with part of a frieze to top and bottom surviving above and below the small side window. A recess in the wall was probably clad in oak with a door as a 'Salt cupboard' in the 17th century. The south wall was similarly decorated. At the 1st floor parts of the tie beams of the two roof trusses are visible (there are probably in oak and are likely to be of the king post form). A dismantled stone fireplace currently in the 'hall' most probably was the Parlour fireplace on the ground floor of the west gable. It has the same broad chamfered surrounds as the one recently uncovered'.
Thornborrow defined the aims of the building as to make a photographic and drawn record of the building, and subject it to detailed analysis with regard to its different functions before further works of alteration, demolition and restoration.
(Thornborrow, P.H. (WYAS Advisory Service). 19/12/2001). |