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Description: Bean Hole Head Farmhouse & attached barn

Address: Bean Hole Head Cross Stone Road Todmorden Calderdale OL14 8RG

Grade: IISTAR

Group detail: Cross Stone Road (south side)

Full description:
House, dated 1638 with added rear range under 2-span roof at right angles to main house, dated 1700. Barn added early C18 to west end of main range. Hammer-dressed stone, (watershot) stone slate roof. 2 storeys. South front originally 3-roomed plan with barn occupying service room to west. To left, single aisle to barn which has coped gable with kneeler. Square headed mistal doorways with simple chamfer. Set back is semi-circular cart entry with circular pitching hole over next to 2 double chamfered mullioned windows of 2 lights. Main housebody window is double chamfered of 8 lights, lacking centre mullion. Over is 4-light window. Doorway has tie-stones and cavetto moulded cornice. 4-light double chamfered mullioned window with same over. Coped gable with kneelers. Right hand return wall has extruded stack with offsets. Added rear wing has 4-light double chamfered mullioned window (lacking 2 mullions) with hoodmould over with scrolled label stops. Over is former 4-light window. Coped gables with kneelers and ball finials. Rear formed by 2 gables with rainwater chute to valley. Western most gable has large well dressed extruded stack with many offsets. Return wall of wing has double chamfered mullioned window of 4 lights (lacking 2 mullions) with hoodmould. Left label stop is formed of letters 'W S'; right, the date '1700'. Over is 4-light window (lacking 2 mullions). At right angles, under cat-slide roof with wing, is leanto porch which has Tudor arched doorway with chamfered surround and lintel carved 'RAS, 1638' in relief. Double chamfered mullioned window of 2 lights to rear of main range (now part of barn). Barn has square headed cart entry with (glazed) pitching hole over. Composite jambs, chamfered surround, in return wall. Interior: scarf jointed spine beams which are reeded, as are floor joists, to housebody. Fine quality plaster frieze of scrolled vine with pomegranates and lion masks. Large royal coat of arms dated 1634 and initialled 'R S A' set within pilasters. To either side, set within arcade are coat of arms initialled 'M W ' and 'D B'. One other is initialled 'E D'. Eastern room was probably parlour. This has small segmental arched fireplace, with skewbacks and moulded surround. Originally C17 cellar is covered by original oak duardarn with small reeded stiles and square panels, door and coved canopy with bobbin turned columns. The side of this cupboard has depressed Tudor arched lintel leading to stairs to cellar. This room has large reeded beams. Rear western room, former kitchen, has reeded floor joists, original oak studded door; segmental arched fireplace has skewbacks and cyma moulded surround. To right of fire is chamfered surround to beehive oven. Built into the division wall between the house and the barn, probably dateable to 1700, is C10 cross-shaft with interlaced carving from former cross on this site which gave the area its name of Cross Stone. The house contains many original features; the plasterwork is amongst the finest to survive in the Calder Valley.