Listed Building record MDR12100 - Torr Farm, Hazelford, Grindleford

An archaeological building investigation and recording of a hen house and piggery was undertaken at Torr Farm near Hathersage by Archaeological Research Services Ltd in 2007. The work was carried out prior to restoration works as part of a Countryside Stewardship Agreement. It was concluded that the building had four phases of construction, with the single-storey lean-to and the piggery being later additions to the east end of the original hen house. The walls of the piggery were later raised in height in order to accommodate a sloping roof. It is thought that the hen house was built between 1813 and 1818, with the lean-to and piggery being added between 1818 and 1840. (1) From the National Heritage List for England: 'This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 16/10/2018 355/0/10012 GRINDLEFORD EYAM WOODLANDS Torr Farm (Formerly listed as Tor Farm) 28-MAR-03 II Farmstead, vacant at time of inspection in April 2002. Late C17 to late C19 with C20 alterations. Coursed gritstone rubble, dressed stone detailing including large quoins, kneelers and copings. Stone slate and Welsh slate roof coverings, laid to diminishing courses, with some replacement C20 corrugated sheeting to outbuildings. PLAN: Evolved multi-phase courtyard plan, comprised of double pile farmhouse, attached front enclosure wall and attached cowhouse/stable range to north side of yard; detached split level barn with lofted lower end to the west and minor outbuildings on south side of yard and to east of the house. EXTERIOR: Farmhouse of two storeys and four bays. An 'M' roof of two parallel ranges, with kneelers and gable copings; three stone ridge stacks, one to centre and on both gables far right. Blocked original entrance with massive stone lintel and remains of jamb stones to far right, present entrance to bay three, a plain opening with stone lintel. A blocked doorway to left, bay two. Two-light windows throughout, hollow chamfer mullions surviving to ground floor, bays one and four and missing from the two widely-spaced first floor windows in bays one and three. North elevation with square windows to each end at ground and first levels, and narrow central first floor window. Upper floor windows have three-light metal frames of four lights each. Sills and lintels are rusticated, with edge-tooling. Right return with side entrance obscured by C20 lean-to porch. INTERIOR: Not inspected but the front right room, has an original fireplace with moulded stone jambs, and spine beams to ceiling. Attached front wall: a high screen wall to left of well-coursed stone with dressed copings drops to a lower and more irregular coursing along the front, with flat coping and blocked central gateway; present gateway far right has stone round-topped diagonally tooled gate piers. OUTBUILDINGS: Attached byre and stable range to left: a low two-storey, four-bay range on a steep slope; two phases distinguished by large quoins between bays two and three. Irregular quoins to left end. Upper floor entry up three stone steps far right, with square window on its left; three doorways with stone lintels; inserted or enlarged window with small panes, projecting stone sill and concrete lintel to bay three. Square pitching openings under eaves to bays two and three. Rear: quoins define two phases of construction, as front. The left end has two blocked doorways, the central doorway having an inserted boarded opening, probably a mucking-out hole. Two inserted small-pane windows, left and to upper storey right. Right end: irregular quoins; square mucking-out hole right and two small square vents to upper level. Left return: window to lower storey has stone sill and lintel. INTERIOR: king-post roof; timber stalls and loft. West barn and stable range: built across the ground slope to provide a two-bay barn and two-storey byre and loft over on right. Central full-height barn door with iron strap hinges; double doors [now garage] to left, byre door to right, reduced to window, stable door far right with square window to side and hay eye above; narrow slit vents. Rear facade obscured by corrugated iron lean-to, slit vents. Left return: tall narrow owl hole below ridge, stone surround; small pigeon hole with stone perch below right. Right return: square window with large lintel to right is blocked; central inserted mucking-out hole. INTERIOR: stone dividing wall; four-bay roof structure of king-posts with side struts and iron fastenings. South range of outbuildings comprises a rubble stone two-bay hen and pig house with attached lean-to or privy of dressed and coursed stone, quoins and with stone slate roof, and a low flat-roofed pigsty with feeding slots to left. Eastern outbuildings range: low two-bay rubble building with lean-to attached to left. Two or more phases of building, with quoins to right. Timber lintel to wide door centre, six-pane sash in square window left; doorways in left and right surrounds have timber lintels. This building stands in the north-east corner of a small croft separately walled from the farmyard. HISTORY: The original farmhouse and stable/byre range faces south and was built to use the hill slope which drops from the south-east yard entrance to the north-west gable of the byre range. Site drainage and movement of manure was therefore from the rear of the byre range. The further development of the farmstead in the mid and late C19 appears to reflect the intensification of farming practise and changes to increased pastoral farming in the mid-late C19. The division of the farmhouse to form two cottages may be related to a change from freehold to tenant farming in the early-mid C19, with the expansion of the farmhouse with a second side entrance in the later C19 possibly to provide sleeping quarters for farm labourers.' (2)