Sunny Bank, Greetland

Two exterior views of Sunnybank, Greetland, West Yorkshire.

Sunnybank of Greetland is believed to be the oldest house in Calderdale [1290]. The building still exists today, the original oak cross-members are still in place but the infillings of daub, or dung, or clay have been replaced with local stone. The original name of the house was Over Nabroyd, but was changed to its present name by the vicar of Halifax, Thomas Wilkinson (1438-1480).

The photographer, Hugh Percy Kendall, was a founder member of the Halifax Antiquarian Society in 1900 and a frequent contributor to their transactions. He was also a former president of the Halifax Photographic Society. He died in 1937 at the age of 62.

Still standing 2003. It is a Grade II* listed building. The following is from Calderdale Council's listed buildings description:

House in more than one occupation, mainly mid C16. Timber framed exterior with hammer-dressed stone and stone slate roof. The house is essentially a long, gabled 2-storey block divided into two parts by a cross-passage. The north elevation has 3 main gables all with king-post trusses with 'V' struts. The two gables to the right are probably to the main hall with parlour wing, separated from the service end by a cross-passage which has a small gabled entrance with a lower ridge level and with a large stack backing on to it from the hall range. This northern entrance has ornate doorway with ogee lintel and herringbone studding to uprights. The south front shows marked differences in levels and materials. The service end is of 2 bays and 2-storey with stone wall exposed king-post truss and has flat faced C19 mullioned windows inserted into earlier C17 wall of 5 lights with 4-light window over to left bay and 3-light windows to both floors to right bay which has quoins and a continuous outshut with cat-slide roof to north side. The end of the cross-passage has timber framing of close-studding to first floor with angle- brace to wall plate and down post. The left hand two ranges to hall and parlour are gabled as at north side with exposed trusses with many 'V'-struts and have a higher roof line than cross-passage/service end, the posts are visible built into stonework with girding beam to first floor. This is an important surviving partly timber framed building of quite complex development as evidenced by 3 different rooflines. In fact the house was not built all at once; this is clear from the timber posts in the south wall and the cross-passage which are not placed where they should be to support the existing structure. The oldest part of the structure can be seen at the south-end of the cross-passage. A timber post resting on a stylobat carries a bressumer and wall plate, and it is clear from the peg-holes that these members were continued on both sides of the post, although they are now only visible on the west side. The next post to the east is 13' away. Pegholes on the bressumer indicate that there were once studs below as well as above it. Presumably these were removed when the house was extended, because it was then that the cross-passage was made. The deeds show that in 1472 the house came into the ownership of Thomas Wilkinson and in 1544 it passed to Henry Savile of Bradley Hall (q.v.). It would appear that the Saviles rebuilt the house before 1577, because they were rebuilding Bradley Hall in stone by that date. It seems most probable that the greater part of Sunnybank dates from c.1550. A more thorough survey of the older part might indicate its date; something prior to 1400 is not improbable. J. Lister, H.A.S. (1902). J. Leyland, 'Views of Ancient Buildings of Halifax' (1879). T. F. Ford, 'Thoresby Soc. Miscellanea', Vol. 28 (1928) p.16. J. Walton, 'Early Timbered Buildings of the Huddersfield District' (1955). L. Ambler, 'The Old Halls and Manor Houses of Yorkshire' (London 1913) p.4. N. Pevsner, 'Yorkshire West Riding' (1979) p.626. A. Pacey, 'Elland Buildings' (1964 unpublished- V.A.G. Library, or Elland Public Library). 2.01.

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