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Parker's Farmhouse, formerly listed under Cowhill Fold, is a
grade 2 listed building, listed by the English Heritage as a building at risk.
The Farmhouse was built in 1607, by Richard Talbot who was
granted a lease of the land in this year. Richard was the grandson of Sir John
Talbot of Salesbury, and Sir Richard Houghton of Lea.
The building is part altered, and unoccupied.
Built of thin coursed sandstone (part rendered), it has a stone
slate roof with a brick chimney on the ridge at the junction of 2nd and 3rd bays,
and has a large projecting chimney stack on the left gable.
Unusually complete example of 3-bay baffle-entry 2-storey house
with 2-storey gabled porch, and outshut stair turret at rear.
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Double - chamfered stone mullion windows can be still be seen,
with hoodmoulds (most now blocked). The Porch at the junction of the 2nd and 3rd
bays has a studded board door with fleur-de-lys hinges, in a Tudor-arched doorway
with a moulded surround and a large lintel enclosed by a hoodmould, and
hollow-moulded coping with kneelers and seating for finials (missing).
To the left of this, a 14-light mullion and transom window is in
the middle bay, and three 5-light windows; to the right side, the 3rd bay is
rendered, and has a garage entrance at ground floor and an old blocked 4-light
window above.
The Left end wall has damaged render, an extruded chimney stack
with offsets at gable level, and a simple 2-light window; the right end has a
blocked Tudor-arched doorway and 5-light 1st floor window.
At the Rear, the stair turret at the junction of 1st and 2nd bays
has two 3-light windows, there are similar windows of 5 and 4 lights at ground
floor, and of 2, 2 and 4 lights at 1st floor; and a small firelight window at the
junction of 2nd and 3rd bays. (Large later outshut to 1st bay.)
The Interior 2nd and 3rd bays are divided by a stone cross-wall,
which has the original stone firehood to the full height of the 2nd bay, and remains
of a timber firehood in 3rd bay. The hall part in 2nd bay has at its upper end a
very large rectangular inglenook with stone heck, and at its lower end a
timber-framed partition with wattle-and-daub infill with 2 slightly-arched service
doorways, and at the back a studded board door to the stair turret which contains
stone stairs turning round a stone newel. The upper floor has a timber-framed axial
and longitudinal partition walls which appeared later.
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Richard Talbot was the bailiff to
Judge Walmsley of the
Dunkenhalgh, and would have overlooked the land and property on his masters behalf
wearing a blue coat which was supplied periodically.
The tenement of the property remained in the family until 1804.
Known as Parkers farm rather than Talbot's Farm, the tenant in
the early 19th Century was one Christopher Parker, who gave his name to the
building.
Plan No. 872 was received by Rishton council on the 10th July 1947,
for a Proposed shippon, at Parker Fold Farm, for the Dunkenhalgh
Estate.
References
(Ainsworth Homesteads
p.p. 349-55)
http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk
Rishton Remembered by
Kathleen Broderick.