History

Built as a vicarage in 1851, probably by the Liverpool architect W.H. Gee, who also designed Leighton church and Leighton Hall. Its patron was John Naylor, who acquired Leighton Estate in 1846-47. Naylor embarked on an ambitious programme of building, principally Leighton Hall, church and Farm, which was largely completed by the mid 1850s. Naylor's grandson, Captain J.M. Naylor, sold the Estate in 1931.

Exterior

Tudor-Gothic style house of 2 storeys and attic, consisting of a picturesque massing of gabled wings with entrance to N and principal elevations overlooking gardens to W and S; service wing to NE. Of rock-faced Cefn stone with ashlar dressings, first-floor sill band to main elevations, coped parapets and gables on moulded and bracketed kneelers, and with pendant finials. The windows have chamfered margins and hood moulds in the main elevations. Steeply pitched slate roofs and gable stacks with tall patterned shafts. The entrance front to N is asymmetrical, with porch to R projecting diagonally from a 2-storeyed flat-roofed lobby in the angle of the stepped W and E gabled wings. The porch is ashlar and has polygonal turrets. A parapet has pierced quatrefoils, with ball finials above the angles. Under a Tudor arch is a panelled door. The gables of the W and E wings have stacks (the E wing also has a fixed light with margin glazing in the upper storey). The lobby has an embattled parapet and fixed lights with margin glazing in each storey. Behind, the main block has smaller but similar fixed lights.

The W garden front consists of advanced gabled bays to L and R and central bay with tall 3-light mullioned and transomed Tudor Gothic window (lighting the stairwell). Right-hand gable has a stack; to L are cross-windows in the lower and upper storey, with a smaller attic window. The S garden front has paired gables stepped back to L and centre, and service wing to R set further behind. In the lower storey the gable to L has a canted bay window with parapet of blind quatrefoils and mullioned and transomed lights. Above it is a 3-light mullioned and transomed window and in the attic is a fixed light with margin glazing. In the central bay is a 3-light mullioned and transomed squared bay window beneath an embattled parapet, above which is a cross-window and in the attic is a smaller fixed light. To R in the side wall of the service wing are 2-light mullioned windows and a lateral stack to R. The service wing front to E has attached walls of a small garden. In advanced gable to L is a small fixed attic window under hood mould (and brick lean-to shed). To R is a tripartite window in the lower storey and a 2-light upper storey window.

Interior

Not inspected (November 1996).

Reasons for Listing

An impressive example of mid C19 domestic Gothic, notable for its expressive forms and retention of detail. It is part of a strong visual group comprising church, lodge, Pentre House and gateway, all designed in a Gothic idiom. It is also a key component of the group of buildings designed for John Naylor by W.H. Gee, which includes the church and Leighton Hall, and contributes to the architectural character of the Leighton Estate, an exceptional example of high-Victorian estate development.

External Links

• Cadwr Listing
• Wikidata Q29487562

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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