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SHACKERLEY HOUSE FARM, PRESTON NEW ROAD, MELLOR, BLACKBURN: ASSESSMENT OF HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE 1 Introduction 1.1 This assessment supports an application for listed building consent at Shackerley House Farm, by Bedfords Surveyors Ltd. The application concerns repairs to those parts of the building recently damaged by fire and water, and to replace the former thatch roof of 1993 with stone slate. 1.2 This document assesses the heritage significance of the existing building, the site and its setting, in order to inform the application, as recommended by the NPPF and the HEPPG Planning for the Historic Environment. It has been produced by Stephen Haigh MA, buildings archaeologist, following a site visit on 18 July 2017. 2 Site location 2.1 Shackerley House Farm stands in Mellor civil parish at NGR: SD 65837 29769, very close to the boundary with Blackburn-with-Darwen, which follows the adjacent unmarked beck. It stands about 300m north of the A677 Preston New Road, off which is the access track to the site, and 100m west of the A6119 Yew Tree Drive. The farm is set within pasture fields, enclosed by hedgerows and fences, although the land to the east of Yew Tree Drive is occupied by suburban housing. 2.2 The buildings at the farm (no longer an agricultural holding) include the detached house, with a barn and other minor outbuildings to the north-west. 3 Relevant heritage assets 3.1 The farmhouse is included within the National Heritage List for England as “Shackerley”1, as it is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest. It was first listed in 1966. 4 History of the site 4.1 Little is known of the history of the house or farm at Shackerley prior to the late 20th century, and it appears essentially to have formed a small farmstead typical of the locality, perhaps established in the 17th century, with house and barn 1 National Heritage List for England no: 1072071 https://www.historicengland.org.uk/listing/the- list/list-entry/1072071 Stephen Haigh Buildings Archaeologist August 2017 Shackerley House Farm, Mellor: Heritage Assessment page 2 providing the necessary accommodation for small-scale farming and possibly domestic industry. It had however become derelict by the 1990s. 4.2 In 1993, planning and listed building consents were granted by Ribble Valley Borough Council, for “part demolition and rebuilding and replacement roof to an existing dwelling” (3/1993/0216 & 3/1993/0217), and these were implemented. The most significant part of the application concerned the replacement of the existing roof coverings, which were partly stone slate and partly asbestos cement sheet, with reed thatch, as well as the rebuilding of the front wall and west gable, and much of the interior. 4.3 In early 2017 the building suffered a fire which led to the loss of the thatch and some roof timbers, so that the building is presently uninhabitable. Although the fire itself was confined to the roof, water damage was sustained to timbers within the building. It is now proposed to replace the roof covering with stone slate, and make like-for-like repairs to other elements, where that is necessary to make the building habitable again. 5 The farmhouse 5.1 The farmhouse comprises a south-facing, two-storey, three-bay building, with a porch to the front elevation and a lean-to at the east gable, both of which are likely to be post-17th century additions. In plan-form, the house is of the lobby- entry type. 5.2 Prior to the 1993 work2, the building appears to have been entirely stone-built (squared sandstone rubble of local provenance), with plain chamfered dressings, including some mullions which had survived previous removal, though the majority appear to have been lost by then. The main roof was of stone slate to the front pitch, and asbestos cement to the rear. 5.3 At that time, the ground floor was divided structurally by the main fireplace into a west room (traditionally the “housebody”) of two bays, and the east room (“parlour”) of one bay. The fireplace survived partly in its original form, with crude bressumer and rear fire window within the housebody, but with a later chimney breast (18th or 19th century) replacing the presumed firehood. The 1993 plans show a division of the housebody into three rooms (lounge, store and study), by thin partitions or brick walls, one of the rooms being provided with a fireplace at the west gable. On the first floor, the arrangement of staircase and 2 The “existing” drawings submitted as part of the 1993 applications, by A J Cocker & Co, form the main source of information about the building, prior to the re-roofing in thatch and associated changes Stephen Haigh Buildings Archaeologist August 2017 Shackerley House Farm, Mellor: Heritage Assessment page 3 partitions suggests that at least some of these components had already been replaced prior to 1993. 5.4 The farmhouse’s original roof structure is largely intact and formed from oak timbers, a number of which show evidence for previous use, as is commonly the case. There are two trusses over the western part of the building, with the cross- wall supporting the roof between bays three and four. The trusses are of principal rafter construction, comprising tie beam, principal rafters and collar, and have pegged joints. They support two side purlins to each pitch, and a diamond- set ridge. 1993 work 5.5 In 1993 a major programme of work was undertaken by a new owner, which resulted in a major impact on the historic fabric and appearance of the house. 5.6 The south and west walls, porch, and three walls of the east lean-to were taken down and rebuilt with cavity construction, faced with re-used stone on the outer leaf but of concrete block or brick to the interior. Existing openings were generally re-created in their former positions using new sawn stone dressings, though an additional window opening was made to the first floor in the front elevation, and the windows in the east wall of the lean-to were altered. 5.7 The existing roof coverings were then replaced in water reed thatch, with new rafters beneath, and the roof pitch was steepened to an angle suitable for this type of covering. The two chimneys were heightened by adding in brickwork, concealed within the roof, below rebuilt stacks. The lean-to roof was also provided with a new hipped, steeply pitched roof structure suitable for thatch (see photographs 1 to 3). 5.8 The internal works were also extensive. On the ground floor, work was carried out to the main fireplace, the staircase was replaced, the partition between study and store removed, and the chimney breast at the west gable rebuilt. The floor boards to the first floor were replaced, and an entirely new pattern of first floor room divisions created. 2017 fire 5.9 During the 2017 fire, all thatch was destroyed (except to the porch), and there was damage to many roof timbers, including the trusses, rafters, ridge and purlins. There was also damage to the first floor timbers and plasterboard below. Stephen Haigh Buildings Archaeologist August 2017 Shackerley House Farm, Mellor: Heritage Assessment page 4 6 Extent of surviving historic fabric 6.1 Inspection of the building at the present time indicates that surviving historic fabric is confined to the following areas: Rear wall, containing original window openings and dressings (approx 90% intact) East gable (approx 90% intact) Cross wall, incorporating main ground floor fireplace, with bressumer, “heck” (containing historic daub), fire window, and later stone chimney breast First floor timber beams (joists & boards are modern) Two roof trusses, together with two pairs of side purlins, and diamond-set ridge; this roof structure is fully oak, with many of the timbers displaying evidence, in the form of redundant joints, for previous use. (The softwood rafters overlying the main roof structure date from 1993.) Fire damage has however had a severe impact on the structural integrity of the roof (see engineer’s report). 7 Statement of significance 7.1 The farmhouse has heritage significance, as a vernacular farmhouse with 17th century origins, which retains much of its historic plan-form and some original structural components. Its designation as a grade II listed building means that ostensibly it is of national significance, and although it could be argued that the 1993 works were sufficiently detrimental to merit de-listing, it has not been possible to test this to date3. It is however clear that the 1993 works have markedly reduced the building’s heritage significance. 7.2 The farmhouse appears generally typical of the 17th century stone-built houses which occur in this area of Lancashire, but its façade has been radically altered by modern rebuilding. It has a distinctive, lobby-entry type of plan-form, which is determined by the position of the main fireplace in relation to the front entrance. The fireplace area and first floor beams are the only significant internal features on the ground floor, and on the first floor the only significant internal fabric is formed by the roof structure. 7.3 The new thatch roof covering of 1993 served to reduce the building’s significance markedly. Although thatch was widely used alongside stone slate in the district historically, particularly where slate was not available in the immediate vicinity, there does not appear to have been any evidence that it was used at Shackerley. 3 An application was made to Historic England for de-listing on 31 July 2017.

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