Building record MDR13133 - Reddish Farm, Reddish Lane, Whaley Bridge

Reddish Farm is believed to date to the 17th century or earlier, with some documentary evidence suggesting an association of the place name and the name of the family that lived there in the late 17th century. The farm remained in agricultural use, mainly for dairying, until the end of the 20th century. There is now little physical evidence of clearly identifiable 17th century fabric, but an early 20th century photograph of the farm clearly shows a now demolished 17th century gabled part of the building with chamfer-mullioned windows and hood moulds. It also shows a second, narrower gable with 19th century window detailing to the side of the 17th century section. The early part of the building was subsequently demolished and the adjacent gabled section remodelled into its present pitched roof form. The present farmstead appears to be the result of incremental enlargement and remodelling from the 17th century to the early 20th century. Whilst most of the buildings appear to be of early-mid-19th century date, the window openings to the rear wall of the farmhouse have thin stone surrounds to what appear to have been 18th century mullioned windows. Most of the other external detailing is of 19th century date. The farm buildings appear to be largely 19th century, bearing out the evidence of the 1844 Taxal Tithe map and the early Ordnance Survey (OS) map editions for the area, which show the farmstead in much the same form as exists today, with the exception of the demolished and remodelled parts already referred to. The Tithe map also refers to a separate dwelling on the site, which may have stood where the present detached garage building to the north of the farmhouse now stands. In its present form, the farmstead comprises a T-shaped farmhouse and a roughly L-shaped grouping of single and two-storey farm buildings, including a barn with a flagged threshing floor, a shippon with 20th century concrete standings for cattle and a small two-storey building with small hearths to both gables, possibly for farm worker accommodation. To the north of the main farmstead is a further single outbuilding, now used as a garage. The farmstead is built almost entirely of gritstone, with plain ashlar gritstone dressings. The buildings mostly have stone slate roof coverings laid to diminishing courses and with gritstone ridges. The interior of the farmhouse is almost completely 19th century in character, with the interior plan having been adapted to accommodate the addition of a three-storey bay through which the house is presently entered. The east wall of the single-bay wing to the west of the main range is far thicker than the other walls in the house, and may have formed part of the earlier house. One room retains stone benching and its exposed ceiling joists are substantial oak timbers, perhaps re-used joists from the earlier house or even possibly surviving in situ. The buildings are currently [August 2011] vacant. A full inspection was carried out by English Heritage, following an application for listing. However it was concluded that the house and farm buildings are too altered and have lost the 17th century elements which would have added greater interest. (1)