Coach House And Tower At The Leys

The Coach House and Tower at The Leys is a former coach house and stables that have been adapted for use as garages and workshops, with an attached service cottage and tower. Built in 1901 by George Walton for JBB Wellington, it was altered in the 1920s. The structure is made of red brick, featuring a roughcast upper storey above a string of white brick cogs, and has deep boarded eaves. Notable elements include cast iron rainwater hoppers with heart motifs and a plain tile roof with stone gable copings and scrolled kneelers.

The building is arranged in a U-shape around a small courtyard and has one and a half storeys. The exterior features leaded casements, with those on the first floor set in semi-dormers. The left wing has wide plank doors and high windows from its time as stables, with one window retaining an iron post from the former stalls. The upper windows have been altered and are no longer leaded. In the 1920s, the front end of this wing was extended to create garages, which are linked to a new arched brick screen across the front of the courtyard. The courtyard itself is paved with narrow yellow bricks in a herringbone pattern.

The central range includes two sets of coach house doors with ornamental strap hinges, a half-glazed door, and a window from the former stable on the left, and a similar door on the right. The upper storey has two casements, with the left forming a long window with four lights. The right wing features a taller brick tower at the front gable, which contains the cottage that faces the right side. This cottage has two full storeys and three-light windows flanking a central door adorned with a fine stained glass floral design.

Inside, the building contains fireplaces with plain tiles and simple wooden surrounds, elaborate iron window catches, and a staircase with splat balusters pierced by heart motifs. The Coach House and Tower is recognized as an important structure associated with The Leys estate, designed by George Walton in 1901, and it has group value with the other listed buildings on the estate.