Kirkleatham Hall Farm

Kirkleatham Hall Farm is a substantial stable block complex of grouped importance, arranged around a courtyard on the north and west sides. The earliest component is the south range, a barn incorporated at its east end dating from the early to mid-18th century, possibly designed by James Gibbs, with an earlier 18th-century rear west wing. The east range and north return are of mid to late 18th-century date, possibly by John Carr, with late 18th and early 19th-century coach houses adjoining the rear and a tack room of around 1800 adjoining the north return.

The buildings are constructed in brick with vertically-tooled sandstone dressings. Roofs are laid with Lakeland slate, except the coach houses which have Welsh slate and clay pantiles. The architectural treatment throughout is Palladian in style.

The south or entrance front is two storeys tall and eleven bays wide. The 4th and 8th bays project slightly. A carriage entrance occupies the middle of a central three-bay round arcade supported by broad rusticated piers with plain imposts and archivolts. Round-headed windows are set in recesses flanking the entrance. All ground-floor windows have sashes with glazing bars in rusticated surrounds; the left end bay now contains a door. The first floor has 9-pane sashes in plain keyed surrounds. Panelled doors beneath keyed gauged brick flat arches are located in the inner returns and within the entrance arch. The elevation is finished with chamfered quoins, a heavily-moulded cornice, and a straight parapet with balustraded panels positioned over the middle and projecting bays. The hipped roof carries four corniced ridge stacks.

The east range extends thirteen bays. A slightly-projecting three-bay centre and two-bay ends feature rusticated quoins and chamfered quoin strips. The centre displays a central three-panel double door with an open-lattice fanlight. Segmental arcades appear at both ends, with the left end arcade being blind. Ground-floor windows have been renewed as metal casements. All ground-floor openings are surrounded with rustication and keystones. The first-floor windows have been altered and are set in plain keyed surrounds; the window to the right of the entrance now serves as a loft door. The cornice, parapet, and roof are similar to the south range.

A two-bay north return forms part of an incomplete north range. The left bay has windows matching those of the east range. The slightly-projecting right bay contains a tall altered door and overlight in a rusticated surround with double keystone, beneath a circular window with a plain surround. A single-storey tack room adjoins, with altered openings and three eaves courses of stepped brick.

The rear of the south range shows a lower two-storey wing with remains of sashes and blocked windows on the west side. The rear of the east range exhibits a central staircase tower with a two-storey link wing flanked by two single-storey lean-to coach houses with elliptical-headed openings. The three-stage circular tower has two windows with remains of fixed lights on its west face. Four courses of stepped brick form the eaves; the tower is topped by a conical roof, a wood cupola with paired Roman Doric order, plain glazed openings beneath a lead ogee roof with a ball-and-spike finial.

Interior features include stone dogleg staircases with stick balusters and ramped handrails in the south range. The east range has a central entrance hall with six-panel doors and blind doorways in eared architraves, a cross-groin-vaulted ceiling springing from a cornice, and herringbone-pattern cobbled floors. Both south and east ranges have collared queen-strut roofs with two levels of butt purlins and re-used tie beams. The tower contains remains of a timber newel stair.

This complex served as the former stable block to Kirkleatham Hall, which was demolished in 1955. At the time of the heritage survey, the buildings were disused and dilapidated. The tack room is included in the listing for its group value with the wider complex.