Historic Architecture in Hickleton - Part 2

 

The Forge

When I arrived in Hickleton on the bus from Barnsley, I couldn’t see any modern buildings along the main road and, walking back down to the triangular green after looking at St. Wilfrid’s church, I still didn't see any as I headed up towards Castle Hill Fold. 

 

Vernacular architecture in Hickleton

 

Hickleton essentially grew as the estate village to Hickleton Hall and looking at the 1854 and 1949 Ordnance Survey maps, the village changed very little during a period of nearly 100 years. Most of the buildings marked on the 1854 map still exist and, according to the Hickleton Village website, further developments didn’t commence until the 1960’s. 

 

Ordnance Survey maps of Hickleton from 1854 to 1949

Having encountered several agricultural and domestic buildings, constructed in yellow dolomitic limestone with stone slate eaves to a red pantile roof, the first modern houses I saw were on Castle Hill Fold, where a small estate has been built. 

 

Castle Hill Farmhouse

The Grade II Listed C17 Castle Hill Farmhouse, which was extended in the mid C19, is built with the same materials but, with it being set back from the road, I could only get a partial view of it and after taking just a couple of photos I cut through a nearby snicket to Lady Mary View. 

 

A map of Hickleton Conseration Area showing its Listed Buildings

 

The entire village falls within the boundaries of the Hickleton Conservation Area and all of the modern buildings are built in stone, with red pantiles and, quite surprisingly, stone slate eaves. The various houses are set back from the road and often partly obscured by stone walls, trees and hedges and at the time I didn’t take much notice of these, being more interested in the quarry face that I could see in some of their back gardens. 

 

Houses on Lady Mary View

When looking at one of my photos and using Google Street View to try and locate the path that I took to Castle Hill Quarry – to be described in my next post – I can see that the stone used to build the new houses is not dolomitic limestone, which would be expected and was obtainable at the time when they were built, but is actually sandstone. 

 

A crucifix erected by the 2nd Viscount Halifax

 

Retracing my steps back to Barnsley Road, I then headed down to Lidgett Lane to continue my investigation of the historic architecture in Hickleton and to further photograph its listed buildings. At the junction with Doncaster Road, I came across what may be a former buttercross, upon which was erected another crucifix by the 2nd Viscount Halifax  – the 6th that I had seen in the village. 

 

Nos. 41-42 Lidgett Lane

 

Nos. 41-42 Lidgett Lane are a pair of houses that probably date to the early C19, which are again built of limestone with a red pantile roof and a stone slate eaves course. It is largely obscured by boundary hedges but, with it being listed for group value only, I just took a few general photos and moved on to Nos. 37-40, which are dated late C18 to early C19. 

 

Nos. 37-40 Lidgett Lane

The Forge, as its name suggests, was formerly the village smithy and probably dates to the early C19. Perhaps reflecting its commercial rather than residential use, it is built with limestone rubble rather than squared and coursed masonry, which is seen in most of Hickleton’s historic buildings. 

 

The Forge

 

Nos. 34-35 Lidgett Lane are a pair of cottages that probably date to the early C19, but don’t have any particular architectural merit except to add to the general character of the village, with its further use of deeply coursed and squared masonry, red pantiles and stone slates.

 

Nos. 34-35 Lidgett Lane

Moving back on to Doncaster Road, Nos. 30-33 Lidgett Lane, formerly listed as being on Village Street, are a terrace of four cottages that are dated probably to the C17 but have been heightened in the late C18 or early C19, which can be clearly determined by the change to large squared blocks on the first floor. 

 

Nos. 30-33

Crossing over Doncaster Road, I made my way up Fir Tree Close to Home Farm Court, both of which are modern housing developments. Being conscious that residents seem to be very wary of anyone taking photos around their houses, I just took a few quick snaps of Home Farm Court, dating back to the C17 with C18 and C19 additions, along with the nearby dovecote. 

 

Home Farm Court and the dovecote

Returning to Doncaster, I walked back up the escarpment until I reached the Old School, which Historic England date as probably being C17, with later additions. Views of the house were partially obscured by boundary hedges but, photographing it from an oblique angle, I could see its principal features and the usual building materials. 

 

The Old School

I had spent 3 hours exploring Hickleton and it was not yet 2 o’clock in the afternoon, so I decided to take the next X19 bus to Doncaster. While waiting at the bus shelter, which is incorporated within an old agricultural building, I couldn't help but notice the severe deterioration of the yellow limestone from which it is built.

 

A detail of deteriorating dolomitic limestone