Farmhouse, Smout House, Bransdale

Summary

A mid 19th century farmhouse in the east of Bransdale.

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Monument Types

Description

From NT VBS Yorkshire 1023 Building 1:
"This is a two-storey (plus attic) double-pile house with four principal rooms grouped around a central straight staircase rising from the lobby on the S side. A privy abuts at the N end of the E gable. It is built in squared coursed sandstone with herringbone tooling, with sandstone ridge, gable coping and shaped kneelers (a square kneeler on the privy). The projecting eaves course is cut away to accomodate keystones over each upper storey window on the S side. Chimneys situated on the ridge at each gable are sandstone with clay pots. The roof is pantiled and slightly splayed immediately above the eaves course. It is supported by two original tie-beam trusses, pegged at the apex, and with pegged purlins and struts. The three purlins on each principal have scarfed and pegged joints and appear to have been raised at some stage. The ends of the tie-beam and the ridge have been boarded off, and could not be inspected.
The S side has a four panelled door with a three pane rectangular fanlight above and a keystone lintel. Windows exhibit a variety of styles and lintels (all windows are of two lights, with some particularly slender glazing bars): casement with keystone lintel (upper left); horned vertically sliding sash with square lintel (upper centre and lower right); horned with keystone lintel (upper right); and unhorned with keystone lintel (lower left). On the N side there is less concern for appearance: windows are generally smaller and all have square lintels. The former door near the centre of the elevation has been replaced by a six pane fixed light, and relocated in the former window opening to the left. The remaining windows are horned (upper and lower right) and unhorned (upper left and centre) vertically sliding sahses; the lower right window lighting the back kitchen, is considerably larger than the others on the N side. The large attic is lit by two fixed lights with top hoppers, one in each gable.
Inside the general configuration of the house is not much altered. The doorway from the back kitchen to the parlour has been widened and the door removed, but elsewhere ledged and battened doors with original architraves remain, and joists are exposed thruoghout. None of the fireplaces is original, but that in the former kitchen, 19th century (RCHM) with a semi-circular cast iron surround, has been taken from Beningbrough Hall. The small area reached from the SE bedroom, overlooking the stairs, and lit by the upper centre window, is an unusual feature. The RCHM suggest a possible blocked door between it and the SW bedroom, but no trace of this was observed."
The VBS also contains a copy of the RCHME survey report (Sept 1978), and a certain amount of historical and social information [1]-[8].

Property Survey information [9]:
Sometime after 1782 Loft House farm (see NTSMR 33648), either through marriage or sale, and in 1796 Isaac Scarth was farming there with his son John [10]. By 1814 his two grandsons, also called Isaac and John, had inherited the farm [11], and it is likely that they both had equal shares - according to the 1848 tithe map they both farmed just over 30 acres of land [12]. This situation would explain the building of Smout House and related outbuildings sometime in the mid 19th century, so that the brothers could have seperate farms. The sale of the Smout House/Loft House complex to the Duncombe/Feversham estate probably took place in the 1950's and Smout House is the only house occupying the site. Other references [13] [14]. The RCHME book contains a ground floor plan and photo of the house, and the cover depicts the farm complex as a whole [15]. The plan and photo are also reproduced elsewhere [16].

Site visit 22/03/2000:
As previously described, interior not inspected.

Site visit 30/06/2000:
Building repaired and re-roofed since last visit, prior to becoming NT offices [17] [18].

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