Early 19th century farmhouse, Sporhams Farmhouse, Sporhams Lane (EHER 80851)

A two-storey detached farmhouse built from red brick and covered with a slate tile roof. The farmhouse was built sometime after 1777 and before 1844, in the 'Regency' style. The ground floor is of a four-cell plan with central hallway and stairs to the first floor, parlour and dining room to the front, and service rooms to the rear, including the kitchen with original fireplace. The building has been extended in the late 19th to early 20th century and the roof rebuilt in the 20th century.

June 2022. Heritage assessment. Sporhams Farmhouse is a two storey detached house situated on a farm-track leading South from Sporhams Lane. It is a modest yet typical 'Regency' farmhouse constructed in the early part of the 19th century, at some time after the Chapman and Andre map of 1777 <1> and before the Tithe Map of 1844. The building is constructed almost entirely of London Stock brick, in the Flemish bond style, with red bricks used in the chimneys. The ground floor is of a four-cell plan with central hallway and stairs to the first floor, parlour and dining room to the front, and service rooms to the rear, including the kitchen with original fireplace. The staircase is an original feature with a closed string and baluster type of typical early 19th century form. Originally, there were dormers to the front of the house, now removed; these were most likely an additional feature as they look rather 'ungainly' when viewed in an historic photograph, taken between 1945-1950. As a result of the dormer windows having been removed, sometime during the 20th century the roof was completely rebuilt, leaving no original roof timbers. The roof is covered in slate tile, which may be original. Sometime during the late 19th century to early 20th century, an extension was built to the rear of the house, which now houses the later kitchen and larder. It is also covered by a tiled roof. <2>