| Catalogue Finding Number | WYHER/13096 |
| Office record is held at | Historical Environment Record, West Yorkshire Archaeology Advisory Service |
| Held Outside WYAS | THE RECORD DESCRIBED IS HELD AND ADMINISTERED BY THE WEST YORKSHIRE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT RECORD PLEASE CONTACT THEM ON 0113 535 0157 IF YOU WISH TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO VIEW THIS RECORD |
| Title | High Bentley Farm, aka Lower Fold, Shelf |
| Description | House built in the Mid. 17th century. Constructed of large dressed stone to south front and hammer dressed stone to the return walls and rear, stone slate roof. Originally hall and cross wings plan with added rear kitchen wing between the 2 wings. The house is 2 storeys. The 3 room south front with hearth passage will be treated as 3 bays. The outer bays are gabled cross wings, the left hand of which breaks forward. Both have coped gables with kneelers and spiked lantern finials. The left hand cross wing has double chamfered mullioned windows with hoodmoulds of 5 lights to ground floor and 4 lights (2 mullions removed) to 1st floor. Right hand return wall to hall range has double chamfered windows of 2 lights to both floors. That to ground floor has hoodmould which continues at right angles over central bay ground floor windows. These are double chamfered mullioned windows, large hall window formerly of 12 lights having lost its transoms and most mullions and 2 light fire window. Over is 6 light chamfered mullioned window which only retains its king mullion. Doorway has composite jambs and heavy lintel with Tudor arch, spandrels and chamfered surround. The right hand bay is service end flush with hall range and has only chamfered mullioned windows indicating its lesser status of 5 lights to ground floor and 4 lights to 1st floor. The left hand return wall of cross wing has gable parallel with hall range and chamfered mullioned windows of 5 lights with 3 light window over. The rear has 3 gables the central of which breaks forward and has unusual feature of ashlar faced return wall with arch headed doorway at 1st floor level possibly a taking in door of high quality to weaving shop. Gable has another similar doorway to ground floor in line with front door indicating a through passage plan, and some chamfered mullioned windows. All 3 gables are coped with finials like the south front. The return wall has lateral stack reduced in height and some 19th century flat faced mullioned windows. Text edited from English Heritage's National Heritage List.
High Bentley Farm was also visited by the Yorkshire Vernacular Buildings Study Group in 2002 during renovation work. A detailed report of High Bentley Farm was made during this visit. It was observed that although a finial is engraved with the date '1661', the style of stonework and windows suggest an earlier build date of around 1600. The report goes on to catalogue the development of the building from a 17th century yeoman farmhouse with domestic textile connections to a tenement dwelling for 5 households in the mid 19th century.
A copy of the above information, along with sales particulars from 1992 and the report from the Yorkshire Vernacular Buildings Study Group, is held on file at the offices of West Yorkshire HER. |
| Date | 21st century |
| Extent | contact the West Yorkshire Archaeology Advisory Service for information on what is available |
| Level | Item |