Building record 31/1 - Leighton Hall, Parkgate

<1> Department of the Environment, 1971-2005, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest, p. 27 (Report). SCH1934.

2-storey red brick farmbuildings with sandstone dressings. Coped and finialled gable and 2 mullioned windows. Contemporary hall now demolished.

<2> Various, Written Communication to the HER, G.W. Place, 07/01/1978 (Written Communication). SCH3756.

The river end of Leighton has become part of Parkgate; its Chester High Road end is linked to Heswall. Leighton Hall Farm and Leighton House are the only remains of Leighton as a distinct settlement. Founded on clay rather than sandstone, unusual for this area which is predominantly sandstone, this may have been done to facilitate the construction of fishponds. The Domesday Book records two fisheries at Leighton. These fisheries are thought to be fish yards or flood yards. The fisheries are mentioned again in C13th, C15th and C16th. The settlement may never have been more than a group of farmhouses. In 1672 the heiress of Leighton, Bridget Savage married Sir Thomas Mostyn, and from that time there was no longer any resident landlord at Leighton Hall. This may have created the impetus for the community to disintegrate. A map of 1732 shows a few houses, now gone, on Boathouse lane near its junction with the road to Neston. Apart from the fisheries, the other known resource of the settlement was Leighton Wood. The wood originally stretched from the boundary with Great Neston, to or almost to the boundary with Gayton. The great barn at Leighton bears the datestone 1665, but appears to be an original hall-house, probably becoming a barn when the later nineteenth century Leighton Hall (now demolished) was built. Given 1665 is an unlikey date for the construction of a hall-house, the date stone likely records a refurbishment with the building potentially being medieval in date.

<3> Various, Written Communication to the HER, P. Hoey, 07/04/1999 (Written Communication). SCH3756.

Summary assessment of the buildings at Leighton Hall Farm, dated 9th May 1997.

It is possible that the site of the medieval manor of Leighton lies beneath the site of the later nineteenth century hall (now demolished) in arable fields to the east of the existing farm buildings. Alternatively, it may lie beneath the Great Barn, with the sandstone plinth being reused for the barn, but formerly the support for a timber framed building; this could explain why the current bricks of the barn, although old, are not 'ancient'. The window frames of the barn appear older than the brickwork and could have been re-used from the earlier manor house. The other sandstone farm buildings forming a courtyard around the Great Barn are of a later date, possibly 18th century. They are constructed of semi-coursed rough dressed sandstone blocks. All are lower in height than the Great Barn.There are allegedly several layers of cobbles surfaces beneath the current concrete yard.

The present farmhouse (see CHER 31/2) has elaborate drip moulds above the windows that seem older than the house. Located to the north of the farmhouse is a single storey building, believed to have been kennels. The sandstone mouldings around the windows seem too large and elaborate for the windows they surround and could have been reused from the 19th century Hall or even the earlier Manor House. To the north-west of the farmhouse is a late 19th stable with groom quarters and hay byre over.

<4> Various, Written Communication to the HER, P. Hoey, 06/07/2000 (Written Communication). SCH3756.

The Great Barn displays both domestic and agricultural features. The northern end of the barn appears to have been used for residential use, whilst the southern end of the barn was used for agriculture. There is no evidence for floors at the southern end. There is no remaining evidence for a chimney, or smoke blackened timbers, suggesting that the chimney has been removed or cooking was done elsewhere. The unusual floor plans has lead to suggestions that the building is medieval in origin, however, there is no physical evidence to support this. The detailing of the mullioned windows is consistent with a mid century 17th date and the date of 1665 is carved into one door lintel. A heavily carved timber dated 1666, which is considerably more decorated than other timbers, appears to be a later insertion; it has no structural purpose apart from possibly supporting a screen. The other structural timbers are larger, with simple chamfering indicating that, whilst they were intended to be looked at, this was not a high status dwelling. The Milking Shed to the south of the main barn also features interesting and misshapen trusses of various designs. It would appear that this barn was initially separate from the Great Barn and was later linked by blocking up a former gateway.

<5> AAA Archaeological Advisors, 2006, Leighton Hall Farm, Parkgate, Cheshire; Report on an Archaeological Watching Brief, R2622 (Client Report). SCH4677.

A watching brief was undertaken at Leighton Hall Farm in 2006. Extensive excavations of services and drainage trenches over the entire development site turned up pottery sherds from a period 1870-1930. The site was developed c.1870 by the Mostyn Estate as a 19th century 'state of the art' model farm. The 17th century listed barn building appears not to have been inhabited on a regular basis.

<6> Historic England, 2011, The National Heritage List for England, 1387675 (Web Site). SCH6528.

FARM BUILDING TO LEIGHTON HALL (LEIGHTON HALL NOT INCLUDED): Grade II * Listed. Possible farmhouse and attached outbuilding, now farm building. Dated 1665 with later alterations. Red brick with red sandstone plinth, dressings and irregular quoins; stone slate roof with stone copings and ball and pedestal finials. EXTERIOR: 2 storeys, 5 bays on high plinth with ogee moulding. Outer side to north west has various large edge-moulded openings beneath relieving arches and blocked door opening with lintel inscribed 1665 D.S.A. 2-light mullioned window and square taking-in door with shutter. Raised brick band returns across gable end. Gable end to north east has 3-light mullioned window at first floor level, similar 2-light window above. Inner side to south east has square taking doors and ventilation slits in the form of crosses. INTERIOR: strutted trusses, ridge tree and double side purlins with wind braces.