Clent Hall

Clent Hall is a house dating from circa 1685, with significant alterations and a refronting in the early 19th century and the mid- to late 19th century. The building is constructed of brick, partly stuccoed, with sandstone dressings and a sandstone base, and has plain tiled roofs partially concealed behind parapets with end stacks. It is three storeys tall, plus a cellar, and features a moulded eaves cornice to the front. The three bays each contain windows with moulded plaster architraves and keyblocks, all with cambered heads. The ground floor windows have moulded stone cornices, and the ground and first floor windows are 16-pane sashes, while the second floor windows are 8-pane sashes. A large porch addition, centrally located, has a flat roof behind a balustraded parapet with lion sculptures at the front corners, clasping pilasters, and a moulded cornice. It includes a 12-pane sash window and a narrow rectangular sash window, with a door incorporating a moulded architrave, panelled reveals, and a soffit. The door itself is half-glazed, with the upper glazing replaced by a leaded marble panel depicting the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and a transom light above. A Stafford fire insurance mark is positioned above the central first floor window. The interior is reportedly largely unaltered, with an open well staircase. A two-storey addition to the right side features a flat roof, a ground floor bay window, and a first floor sash window. Two wings to the rear of the main front range are said to date from circa 1685, with 19th-century rear additions. Clent Hall was the residence of the Waldron family until 1750, when ownership passed to the Durant family. The garden was laid out in circa 1875 by Sir Joseph Hooker, a director of Kew Gardens and colleague of Charles Darwin.