Leasowe Castle

Leasowe Castle is a house that has been converted into a hotel and conference centre. It features an octagonal tower built in 1593 for Ferdinando, Earl of Derby, with two turrets added in the early 17th century. The building underwent alterations and extensions in 1818 by J. Foster Jun., with further extensions in the mid-19th century. Constructed of stone with slate roofs, the wings to the north and west are timber framed, with the north wing having a brick ground floor. The layout is L-shaped, with a central three-storey tower that has turrets on the south and west sides, an entrance front facing southeast, and two wings.

The entrance front includes a central four-storey section and flanking three-storey projecting canted bays, topped with a cornice and an embattled parapet. The windows feature label moulds, with most being sash windows that include glazing bars, some having pointed upper panes or mullions and transoms. The central porch has an entrance with a four-centred head, traceried spandrels, and a label mould; the parapet is adorned with a recumbent lion. The original tower is visible from the southwest. An extra storey was added around 1818, supported by deep corbels on two sides, featuring a two-light window with shouldered lintels. The turrets are topped with three coped gables and ball finials, and there are two-light double-chamfered-mullioned windows. The later wing has a timber-framed first floor and an end canted stone turret. The north wing consists of nine bays and three storeys, with two brick bay windows that are two storeys high and raking dormers.

Inside, the entrance features a staircase with iron balusters that record the names of British battles. The original tower includes a room that was formerly a cellar, with entrances and recesses, some of which have Tudor heads. The original first-floor entrance, now located within the turret, has a lintel with the legs of Man, referencing the Earls of Derby's connection to the Isle of Man. A spiral staircase in one turret leads to a second-floor room that features 17th-century fielded panelling and four-panel doors with H-L hinges, along with a bed recess.