Chorlton Green and its buildings today
Although Chorlton Green has a very long history, there are no particularly ancient buildings here, since they were replaced by new ones as they decayed. Unfortunately, lack of documentation prevents identification of the oldest remaining structure. It has been claimed that the Horse and Jockey dates from 1512, but little if any of the present building is as old as that. In fact, the timber-framed frontage was applied as recently as 1908. The Bowling Green public house claims to have been licensed since 1693, though the present building ( the third on this site ) dates from 1908.
The only survivors of Chorlton Green's agricultural past are two farmhouses situated on the west side. Green's Farmhouse, built in the late 18th century, is now surrounded by the hardstanding of a garage. Higginbottom Farmhouse, one of the two Grade II listed buildings in this conservation area, has also been deprived of its agricultural setting. Built in the early part of the 19th century, it is a red brick Georgian house with two windows on each of the two floors. The roof is blue slate and there is a timber porch with an 'ogee' roof.
The surrounding farmland was redeveloped for housing, and the farmyard and barn became a builder's yard with its associated storage facilities. The barn was demolished when the builder's yard was redeveloped, being too dilapidated to convert into dwellings.
The site of the former St. Clement's churchyard is still to be seen, where a number of gravestones remain. Its lych gate is Chorlton Green's other listed building, noteworthy for its octagonal, half-timbered bell tower. It was built in 1888, a gift from one of the parishioners, Sir William Brooks, the leader of a faction which objected to the re-siting of the new church. It was restored in 1976, when the Green was seeded and other landscape work was carried out.
On the east side of the Green are late 19th century buildings, one being the former Church of England School built in 1879. This was converted into offices and workshops, but at the time of writing is vacant. Zetland Terrace, a row of houses built in 1883, stands quite close to the road, in contrast to the old farmhouses opposite with their generous forecourts and gardens.