An Exploration of Heath - Part 3

 

The Grade I Listed Heath Hall

During my very brief exploration of Heath, all of the buildings that I had encountered so far possess individual architectural qualities that provide great character to the village and the early C18 Blacksmith’s Cottage, albeit listed for group value only, provides another example of this. 

 

The Blacksmith's House

 

On the opposite side of the road is the Grade II Listed Little Sycamore, Sycamore House and Sycamore Cottage, a group of attached houses that Historic England describes as “3 attached dwellings, converted mid C19 to one dwelling, now returned to 3 separate dwellings. Late C17 cottage with early C18 addition at rear to left of house dated 1717 with another slightly later cottage added to right with coach-house to rear”. 

 

Views of Little Sycamore, Sycamore House and Sycamore Cottage

 

I just took a few general photos of these and crossed back over Kirkthorpe Lane to take a single photograph of Cobbler’s Hall (c.1740), a 5 bay former school built in hammer dressed sandstone that has been since converted into 3 apartments. 

 

Cobbler's House

Next on my British Listed Buildings Photo Challenge were the gate piers and gates to the Grade II* Listed Dower House, which was built c.1740 for John Smyth, the nephew of the wealthy wool stapler John Smyth who purchased the Heath estate in 1709. 

 

The Dower House

 

According to an article in the Wakefield Express on 21st Feb 2024 and various sales particulars produced by various estate agents, John Carr was responsible for designing this, as well as the remodelling of Heath Hall.

 

Gate Piers at Dower House

 

Continuing along the east side of Heath Common, which here comprises well maintained grass and is described in places on the Heath Conservation Area map as the village green, I got partial views of the Grade I Listed Brewhouse and East Pavilion at Heath Hall (c.1753) by Carr. 

 

The Brewhouse and Pavilion at Heath Hall

 

The Grade I Listed Heath Hall itself incorporates the original house on the site, Eshald House, with Carr undertaking the work from 1754 to 1780 for John Smyth, the nephew briefly described above. I just took a few photos of the house from the distance and a couple of the Grade II Listed gate piers, before crossing the common again to Heath House. 

 

Views of the front elevation of Heath House

 

This Grade II* Listed house was originally built in the C17, but its frontage was rebuilt from 1744 to 1745 in a Palladian style with giant Ionic columns by another renowned Georgian architect, James Paine, who can include work at Nostell Priory, Chatsworth House, Cusworth Hall and Warmswoth Hall amongst his accomplishments.

 

The Priest's House

 

The Grade II Listed mid to late C17 Priest’s House, which has its stonework rendered but still retains its stone slate roof, has associations with Benedictine nuns who fled from persecution during the French Revolution in 1792, lived in the long since demolished Heath Old Hall (1595) for several years and 9 of these were buried at the Church of St. Peter the Apostle in Kirkthorpe. 

 

Gate piers at the former Heath Old Hall

At the time of my visit, repairs to one of the gate piers to the entrance of the Heath Old Hall were being undertaken, but I was able to photograph one of the large pineapple finials before making my way back past Heath House to the mid to late C18 Heath Farm Cottage. 

 

Heath Farm Cottage

Returning to the north entrance to Heath Hall, I was able to get partial views of the Grade I Listed West Pavilion (c.1753) by Carr, which were originally stables with accommodation above but have now been converted to apartments. 

 

Views of the West Pavilion

 

Being conscious that I was encroaching upon privately owned land, I managed to take a couple of quick snaps of the Grade I Listed Stable House (c.1754) by Carr and a Grade II* Listed stable/barn, which probably dates to the early C18, before retracing my steps to Kirkthorpe Lane. 

 

The Stable House and stable/barn at Heath Hall

 

I got talking to a couple of about the same age as me, who had cycled to Heath from South Yorkshire, who had also been very impressed with Heath. Setting off to Kirkthorpe, it wasn’t long before I stopped again to look at the weathered cross-bedded grey/light brown sandstone used in the boundary wall to the estate, which would have been quarried locally from the Oaks Rock. 

 

Weathered sandstone in the boundary walls along Kirkthorpe Lane

Continuing along Kirkthorpe Lane, I took a few general record photographs of the mid C17 and mid C18 Heath Hall Farm barn and attached buildings from a distance, before following a public footpath that took me down to the River Calder.

 

The Heath Hall Farm barn and associated buildings