The Ivy House

Cadw's description

Location

Located approximately 2.4km S of Leighton church.

History

C18 double-fronted farmhouse enlarged by addition of outshut and in mid C19 by addition of a front wing. The later remodelling was carried out for the Leighton Estate, acquired by John Naylor, a Liverpool banker, in 1846-47. Naylor embarked on an ambitious programme of building, notably Leighton Hall, church and Leighton Farm, all designed by W.H. Gee and largely completed by the mid 1850s. Naylor continued to extend and improve the Estate until his death in 1889. His grandson, Captain J.M. Naylor, sold Leighton Hall and the Estate in 1931.

Exterior

Original house is a 2-storey, probably 2-unit building with continuous outshut to rear and has a later 2-storey range at right angles to the front. The original house is of rubble stone with renewed slate roof, 2-light mullioned windows under hood moulds to R (in stone in the upper storey, replaced in brick in the lower). To L, hidden behind the front range, is a small-pane casement in the lower and 2-light mullioned window above with hood mould. In the L gable end are early insertions consisting of a ledged and battened door L of centre, and upper and lower storey windows in the outshut. The R gable end has similar windows in the outshut. Brick stack to R (and dormer with 2-light casement in the outshut). The front range is of brick, is higher than original house and has slate roof with end brick stack. The entrance elevation has openings under brick hood moulds: a 4-panel door to R and a large 12-pane sash window to L with a smaller 12-pane sash above it.

Interior

Not inspected (November 1996).

Reason for designation

A farmhouse retaining good early detail from C18 and C19, the latter representing a good example of improvements to the Leighton Estate made by John Naylor.