Lightwood Hall Farmhouse

Cadw's description

Location

On the western edge of Lightwood Green, about 4km SE of Overton village.

History

The present farmhouse comprises a mid C18 house, extended in the mid C19 in a similar style, but it represents the remodelling of an earlier building on the site and some elements of this earlier structure appear to be incorporated in the present building. According to George Howson, Lightwood Hall was the home of the Pulestons of Emral and Worthenbury by 1615.

Exterior

Brick with slate roofs throughout. The earliest part of the present building comprises a 2-unit, 2 storeyed house with central baffle entrance. This has been extended to the west with a single bay with rear wing. Nogged string course of original building copied in later work. Original range has central doorway in added gabled porch, flanked by 3-light casement windows with chamfered wood mullions and cambered brick heads. Cambered head of possible former window over the doorway. Identical windows in the C19 extension, and there are clear indications in the brickwork that the present windows are inserted. Axial stack to original range, with a further stack, axially placed serving the later addition.

Interior

Little original detail survives inside the building, although some internal walls are said to be timber framed, and there is a ceiling in a ground floor room which appears to pre-date the present building: it is panelled by 2 cross beams, roughly chamfered and pegged.

Reason for designation

The C18 farmhouse represents a good example of the use of brick in building, and its form survives substantially intact. Its C19 extension and remodelling shows an interesting sympathy for earlier vernacular detail. The house is of further interest for the apparent fragments of an earlier structure which it has incorporated.