Poultry Cottage

Cadw's description

Location

Approximately 0.9m SE of Leighton Hall and reached from a minor road E of B4388 from which a short private road leads through a forestry plantation to the cottage. The cottage stands on raised ground to the E of the Poultry House.

History

A small labourer’s cottage c1800 modified c1861 as a late example of cottage ornee style. The cottage forms a group with the adjacent Poultry House, which was built in 1861 by John Naylor for his daughter. The cottage was restored by the Landmark Trust 1988-89.

Poultry Cottage was an integral part of the Leighton Estate, acquired by the Liverpool banker John Naylor in 1846-47. Naylor embarked on an ambitious programme of building, notably Leighton Hall, church and Leighton Farm, all designed by Gee and largely completed by the mid 1850s. Leighton Farm was a model farm where rational farming methods were employed using techniques derived from science and industry. It was characteristic of its period but especially notable for its scale. Naylor continued to extend and improve the Estate, building numerous brick dwellings for labourers, until his death in 1889. His grandson, Captain J.M. Naylor, sold Leighton Hall and the Estate in 1931.

Exterior

Double fronted cottage of one-and-a-half storeys with lean-to at the rear. Of random rubble faced in roughcast and with ashlar dressings; slate roof. External brick stack to L and end brick stack to R. Both have tall patterned flues (renewed to R) identical to and probably left over from the building of Leighton Hall. Half dormers to front have small-pane casements below curly barge boards and spiked finials. In the lower storey are cross-windows incorporating small-pane iron frame casements and with hood moulds. (The wall is made up with brickwork below each sill.) The slightly offset doorway has a similar hood mould and a door with Gothic vertical panelling. The lean-to has iron frame casements similar to front.

Interior

Two-unit cottage with central straight staircase which has winders at the bottom. The room to R has an inglenook fireplace with pine surround.

Reason for designation

The Leighton Estate is an exceptional example of high-Victorian estate development. It is remarkable for the scale and ambition of its conception and planning, the consistency of its design, the extent of its survival, and is the most complete example of its type in Wales. Poultry Cottage is an important element of this whole ensemble at Leighton. As a small estate cottage it retains good C19 character in the detailing, and is a key element in the setting of the Poultry House.