Farmhouse still happily a family home after 400 years

Ashwell House (pictured above) is possibly the earliest surviving building in the Brunthwaite conservation area. For over 300 years a succession of Thomas Greens and Jeremiah Greens reportedly farmed the 120 or so acres at Ashwell House, which, according to a Keighley News interview with Thomas Green in 1927, was built in 1610.  

The Green farming connection ended many years ago but Ashwell House continues as a much-loved family home. The present owners are Lucy and Alex Pickard, who moved to Brunthwaite about seven years ago. They live at Ashwell House with their young daughter and son. Alex and Henry are pictured above. 

This gathering of the great and the good of Silsden's Primitive Methodist Chapel is pictured at Ashwell House in 1902. Thomas Green, who died in 1932 aged 83, had been a Primitive Methodist local preacher for more than 60 years. Services were held regularly at Ashwell House during his time there.  Photograph from the late Neil Cathey's collection.

The Green family featured their farmhouse as a Christmas card in 1909. The wording above the picture reads: Mr and Mrs Green send hearty Xmas greetings and best wishes for a happy and prosperous new year. This original card is from the late Neil Cathey's collection. 

Brunthwaite was designated a conservation area in 1977. An assessment in 2005 said Ashwell House and Sycamore Farm, part of which can be seen on the right, dated from the 18th century and were likely to be the earliest surviving buildings. Ashwell House was described as being built in 1739, the date inscribed on a doorway jamb, which could have come from elsewhere if Thomas Green's assertion about the 17th century origin of Ashwell House was correct. Other photographs of Brunthwaite are featured in my blog of May 15th, 2014.