Leverington Hall

Leverington Hall is a particularly fine house, dating from approximately 1630, originally built as a traditional hall plan with a north crosswing. A further crosswing was added to the south end in the early 18th century. The house is constructed of red brick in English bond to the rear wall, with tiled roofs to the front and stone slates to the rear. The gable ends of the crosswings have been rebuilt, originally shaped, and feature tumbled end parapets to the rear. An early 18th-century wooden modillion eaves cornice has been returned to the crosswings. The hall range has a rear stack with three detached shafts and linked capping, a similar ridge stack to the south end, and each crosswing has a comparable side stack. The house is two storeys and attics, with a band separating the storeys. The hall has three dormers with broken pediments. A range of five original cross frame casements with leaded lights are present. Four similar windows are at ground floor level, flanking a 19th-century gabled brick porch. Each gable end of the crosswings has four similar casements, and in the attics, two smaller windows without mullions or transoms. A lead rainwater head dated 1716 bears a crest and initials T.S.E. (Thomas and Elizabeth Swaine). Early 18th-century forecourt walls of finely jointed red brick feature piers with stone cornices and stone pineapple finials. Inside, the hall retains an original moulded main beam. Panelling throughout is early 18th century, raised and fielded in two heights, with a moulded dado and cornice. A fireplace overmantel has a shouldered surround. The hall was divided in the late 17th or early 18th century, creating a smaller room lined with bolection moulded and raised and fielded panelling. Parts of the hall have stone paving. The north crosswing contains a room with fine late 17th-century bolection moulded panelling and a late 18th-century fireplace surround. The main staircase is a four-flight design with two landings, featuring a closed string, turned balusters, moulded rail, and square newels, along with dado panelling of bolection moulded and raised and fielded design. A bedroom in the north crosswing also features similar bolection moulded panelling. The ground floor room in the south crosswing, formerly the kitchen, has a large inglenook hearth and an early 18th-century tiled floor with black and white patterns. The first-floor room in the south crosswing has reset 17th-century sunken panelling, likely removed from a ground floor room when the crosswing was added, and a marble bolection moulded fireplace surround. The back staircase consists of four flights, presenting a closed string with turned balusters and square newels. The house was likely built for Robert Swaine (d.1705). Supporting documentation includes an Estate Map from 1782, Country Life magazine (1948), Pevsner's "Buildings of England" (p.423), and the Victoria County History (Cambs) Vol.IV (p.191).