The Maurice Dobson Heritage & Amenity Centre.
Some Architectural Features of The Building.
Number 2 Vicar
Road">
The
Maurice Dobson Heritage & Amenity Centre. Some
Architectural Features of The Building. Number 2 Vicar
Road, Darfield, is set in the middle of the village's Conservation Area. It was
built about 1750 and is a good example of a small domestic structure, examples
of which are becoming relatively rare in South Yorkshire. During its life it has
undergone many changes. Originally rendered, its stonework was exposed in
Victorian times and was then re-rendered. From sometime in the 19th. Century it
was used as a corner shop, this use continuing until a few years ago. It has
been described as, "...the best surviving of the handful of 18th. Century
buildings in the village." Evidence from the
reworked timber in the building - beams, lintels and roof supports - suggest
that an earlier timber framed structure stood on the site, that was demolished
to make way for the new yeoman's stone building with salvage of material from
the earlier structure. Cast iron
fireplaces both Georgian and Victorian are featured in three of the rooms,
together with an open fireplace with a fire back that could have been a marriage
stone. A remaining bow
window is original to the building and this is to be carefully restored. Dry cellars are
unfortunately not able to be opened to visitors. These were tanked in the 1970`s
but over many years were used to hold the ales that were sold in the shop. These
were used by the local A.R.P. during the war years and it has been suggested
that one of the cellars was used to hold coffins overnight prior to their
internment in the nearby churchyard. Volunteers have
rescued and recreated in a domestic scene at the rear of the building, a black
leaded Yorkshire Range, a copper with its cast fire door, a salt glazed sink,
mangle etc. There is also here, the increasing collection of larger farming
implements that have been collected locally.
