Details
SHEFFIELD
SK38SE NORTON LEES LANE
784-1/10/558 (North side)
01/05/52 Bishop's House
II*
Farmhouse, now museum. c1500, the west wing rebuilt c1550;
floor inserted into open hall c1627; west wing extended and
stone plinth inserted c1650. Altered c1753, restored c1886,
restored and converted 1974-76. Timber-framing with rendered
nogging, coursed rubble, squared dressed stone, with stone
slate roof. Single side wall and gable stacks with double
lozenge shaped flues, and single ridge stack, all C19. L-plan.
EXTERIOR: 2 storeys; 3 window range. South front, with
herringbone framing, has to left a projecting gabled wing with
coved eaves and C19 patterned bargeboard and finial. 6-light
coved oriel window with wooden mullions and leaded glazing,
and below it, a similar 6-light cross mullioned window. Hall
range, to right, 6 bays, has 2 coved oriel windows, 3 and 2
lights. Below, 2 wood mullioned windows, 4 and 3 lights,
flanked by single doors.
Left return, to west, has to right 2 bays of close studding
with diagonal braces. Single 3-light casement to left. Below,
2 mullioned windows, 2 and 3 lights, with drip moulds. To
left, single bay stone addition has a 3-light stone mullioned
window and below, a 2-light casement with drip mould and a C20
door.
North side has projecting stone right wing with a single
window to left between floors, and above, to left, a 2-light
mullioned window and a single window. On the ground floor, a
2-light mullioned window. Left return has, to left, a single
window. Range to left has herringbone framing and to left, a
single window with wooden mullions and to right, a 3-light
leaded window. Below, a blocked doorway flanked to left by a
2-light cross casement and to right by a plank door. East
gable has herringbone framing and coved eaves, and a coved
oriel window, 5 lights.
INTERIOR retains most of the timber framing. King post truss
roof with single purlins, wind braces, and struts to the
ridge. Stud partitions, one with arch braces, and wattle and
daub infill to gable. Late C17 oak dogleg stair with splat
balusters. Parlour has cross beam plaster ceiling and plain
chamfered fireplace, c1627. Lower hall has moulded beams and
joists and a panelled wall dated 1627. Plain stone fireplace,
early C17. Chamber over parlour has cleft floorboards and
moulded plaster frieze over fireplace, c1627. North chamber of
west wing has fireplace with plaster overmantel c1650. Five
fielded 6-panel doors and 3 plank doors.
HISTORICAL NOTE: from c1627 to 1753, the house belonged to the
Blythe family, notable as large scale scythe manufacturers,
and from the late C17 as Nonconformist ministers. The
alterations between 1627 and c1650 were carried out by William
Blythe and his son of the same name. This house is one of the
3 surviving timber-framed structures in Sheffield.
(The Buildings of England: Pevsner N: Yorkshire: The West
Riding: London: 1967-: 474; Bishop's House: Beswick Pauline:
Sheffield: 1981-).
Listing NGR: SK3535683957
