Lea Hall

Lea Hall is a small country house, now divided into three flats, dating from the late 17th and early 18th centuries. It is located just off Nantwich Road, in the civil parish of Wimboldsley. The building is constructed of red Flemish bond brick with ashlar dressings and has a plain tiled roof. It stands two storeys high, with an attic and basement.

The front of the house has five bays arranged symmetrically. A projecting plinth with a moulded top runs around the base. Chamfered quoins define the corners and slightly project from the central bay. A cyma-moulded string course separates the floors, and a 19th-century terra-cotta cornice with egg and dart moulding sits at the eaves, also continuing around the building. The central bay features a painted ashlar door surround with arched panels and scrolls on the jambs, topped with a swan's neck pediment holding a crest and the initials “J V” to either side. The ground and first-floor windows have exposed sash boxes and comprise 5 x 7 panes, with those on the ground floor being taller and all having flat arched heads. The building was re-roofed in the 19th century, reflected in the terra-cotta cornice. Original tiles and decorative ironwork are also from this period, along with lateral chimney stacks. A central 19th-century dormer window with a hipped roof is present.

The right-hand facade has quoins to the corners, two cambered-headed basement windows, and a centrally positioned door. To the right of the door is a basket-arched window reveal containing a sash window similar to those on the front. To the left of the door are three blocked basket-arched window reveals. The first floor has four further basket arched reveals, one containing a sash window of 5 x 7 panes, and another of 4 x 3 panes. The left-hand facade mirrors the right, showcasing four basket-arched window reveals on both floors, with those at the extreme right now blocked.

The rear elevation includes two lateral, one-storey extensions from the 18th and 19th centuries, incorporating hipped roofs and cambered-headed windows, with a 19th-century outshut in between. The first floor has five blocked basket arched window reveals; the central one, the widest, originally lit the staircase and now contains a smaller 19th-century basket arched cross window with stained glass. A 19th-century chimney stack rises from the centre of the wall, and there are hipped dormer windows on either side.

Inside, the house retains bolection moulded panelling in two ground floor rooms and one first floor room. The main staircase has two flights, an open string, moulded tread-ends, and newels formed from groups of eight turned balusters. Dado panelling of raised and fielded outline is also present.

Lea Hall was originally built for a member of the Verdin family.