St Chads House

St. Chad's House is a building dating from 1798 that now serves as a library. The facade, designed by architect George Shaw, was modified in the mid-19th century and features 20th-century additions. It is constructed from watershot hammer-dressed stone with an ashlar facade and has a graduated stone slate roof. The building has a single-depth, two-storey plan with a central staircase and consists of six bays.

The symmetrical elevation includes a projecting plinth, raised corners, sill bands, and an eaves cornice. The central doorway is framed by a moulded surround adorned with ivy motifs, has dropped tracery, a carved overpanel, and a moulded hood. The door itself features linen-fold panelling and pierced upper panels. On either side of the door are two mullion and transom windows with hoodmoulds that have carved stops. The first floor has five 2-light windows, and above the cornice are five gables, with the two end gables featuring coped gables, finials, and cusped lights.

Bay six is lower than the others and has raised quoins, sill bands, a corbelled eaves cornice, and castellations. It features a 5-light mullion and transom window on the ground floor and a 4-light double-chamfered mullion window on the first floor. The rear and sides of the building have 5 and 2-light mullion windows, some of which are recessed and flat-faced, while others are double-chamfered and cavetto-moulded. Dated door lintels include "ISMS 1685" (reused) and one referencing a former "wood house" and "GS 1593".

Inside, the building contains fine early 17th-century timberwork and a 19th-century staircase with acorn drops and intertwined balusters. George Shaw, who lived in and largely rebuilt St. Chad's House, was known for designing many local churches and houses, and he accumulated or created architectural antiquities, many of which are still present in the garden.