Nesbit Hall

Nesbit Hall is a large house, dating to 1761, and possibly designed by Edward Graves, the architect associated with the Moravian settlement at Fulneck School. The house is constructed of hammer-dressed stone with ashlar dressings, some red-brown brick to the inner returns of the wings, and a stone slate roof. It has a hall-and-cross-wings plan, is double-pile, and forms a U-shape to the rear. The main facade is symmetrical, with seven bays and sits upon a semi-basement. A band of rainwater heads are initialled "C & J. N." and dated 1761, referencing Claud Nisbet. The front of the house features a basement band and a ground-floor sill band, with all windows having lowered sills. The central three-bay hall is topped with a plain parapet and has a doorway reached by a flight of 11 stone steps, leading to a modern French window with an architrave, frieze decorated with swags, consoles and cornice. All windows have raised, plain stone surrounds with tooled central panels and borders, now fitted with modern casements. The two-bay wings are framed by giant, punch-dressed Tuscan quoin pilasters on shouldered bases, and have pedimented coped gables with ball finials at the apexes, bearing blind oculi (originally with spoked glazing) within the tympana. Two ridge stacks are situated at the junction of the wings and hall. The rear of the house displays quoins, coped gables, and stacks. The left-hand return has three bays, with a central doorway offset to one side, and a tall arched stair-window retaining its original small-paned sash. The outer bays feature windows similar to those on the front. The right-hand return shows four bays, all with windows like the front, except for the second bay which contains a tall doorway with monolithic jambs and an overlight. An additional window was opened between the third and fourth ground-floor bays.

Inside, the stair-hall contains an open-well staircase with finely-turned mahogany balusters and a wreathed and ramped handrail. Other features include good doorcases with eared architraves and six-panel mahogany doors. The front rooms have plaster cornices. A decorative ceiling rose sits above the stair and archway, with imposts to the first-floor passage. The rear cellars contain double-chamfered mullioned windows, now below ground level, which are believed to be remnants of a previous building on the site, known as Bank House.