Wilderspool House And Attached Garden Wall And Railing

Wilderspool House is a house with an attached garden wall, railing, and gatepier, built by the Greenall family, brewers, and occupied by them until the 1830s. It subsequently served as a brewery manager's house until around 1900, and was later converted into offices in 1980. Additions made around 1980 are not included in this description.

The house is constructed of brick, largely stuccoed, with ashlar dressings, and has slate roofs with 20th-century skylights. The main gables are flat topped with ramped shoulders. The building is two storeys plus garrets, with seven bays. Windows are predominantly replica glazing bar sashes.

The garden front features a central arrangement of three windows on each floor, with those above having segmental heads. Flanking these are a pair of two-storey segmental bow windows, each with three lights on each floor. The roof has a central octagonal cupola with round columns, a dome, a ball finial, and a figure.

The left gable, three bays wide, has a central portico with cast iron Doric columns, creating a doorcase with similar columns in antis, an elliptical fanlight, and an eight-panel door. Single 8/8 sash windows are located on either side of the portico. Above, a central sash is flanked by smaller 6/6 sashes; further above are two small segment-headed sashes and an additional sash to the right. Most of these windows are original. The right gable has two 6/6 sashes on each floor, along with a Diocletian window in the garret. A rear wing features a 19th-century canted bay window with four lights, and above, three 6/6 sashes with segmental heads.

Inside, the entrance hall features margin glazed double doors with wrought iron guards and an elliptical fanlight, as well as a dentillated cornice. Two ground floor rooms retain original cornices. Most rooms have original doorcases, now fitted with 20th-century doors. One first floor room has a late 19th-century marble fireplace. The stairwell has a cornice with fleurons and a circular skylight. A wooden cantilever winder stair and landing exist, with wooden splat balusters which are probably not original. A ramped and scrolled hardwood handrail with a stick newel is present.

Outside, a coursed squared stone garden wall is accompanied by a wrought iron railing extending across the full width of the garden front. On the left return, linked to the entrance front, is a square stone gatepier with a plain cornice and a pyramidal cap. This is one of a pair flanking the driveway.