Leigh House

WINSHAM CP WHATLEY LANE (West side, off) ST30NE LEIGH Leigh House 4/114 4.2.58 - GV II*

Large country house, now divided into 4 units. 1617, modified 1893. Built for the Henley Family. Local lias stone ashlar, Ham stone dressings; Welsh slate roofs between moulded coped gables with obelisk and ball finials. 'E'-plan; east elevation 2 storeys with attics, 5 bays; the outer bays project for 2-bay depth, and the central bay has a slight projectin. Plinth, moulded string above first floor windows, with gables to each bay; ovolo-mould mullioned windows in wave-mould surrounds: the ground floor 5-light with labels, those to bays 2 and 4 taller with transomes, with 5-light and 2-light windows in the returns of the end bays all with labels; the pattern repeated on first floor but with 4-light windows in place of 5-liqht, and no labels; 3-light windows with labels to all attic gables: centre bay has a moulded semi-circular open arch with imposts and square label, above which is a square plaque bearing the Henley arms, then a 4-light transomed and a 3-light attic window matching the remainder; the rainwater stockheads in the corners dated 1893. South elevation of 6 bays to match, of which bays 1 and 2 are only 2-storey and may be a later addition; the windows to these bays are a 4-light transomed unit to lower bay 2, and 2- and 4-lights, above with a cambered-arched doorway under a square label to lower by 1. Bays 3 to 6 are two-storey with attic, with gables to each bay; bay 3 has a 3-light window to each level, bay 4 has a 1+4+1 light angled bay window 2 floors high, the lower window transomed, with plain parapet and flat roof, with 3-light window to attic; bay 5 has a 4-light and a 3-light at mezzanine level, and under these an ovolo-mou1ded cambered-arched doorway in rectangular recess under a square label, the gable to this bay having a chimney stack to its crown: bay 6 has a 1+3+1 light angled bay window 2 floors high and a 3-light attic window: all windows rectangular-leaded: one rainwater stackhead dated 1617. North elevation similar in character, but with sundry C19 and C20 additions to the north-east corner. Interiors not accessible, but ground floor south-east- corner room has early C17 panelling; other panelled rooms and a thin-ribbed plaster ceiling are reported (Pevsner, N, Buildings of England, South and West Somerset, 1958).

Listing NGR: ST3558506210