Charnwood Borough Council - Leading in Leicestershire

Descriptions are given below for the following buildings in Birstall. In general the buildings are in the parish of Birstall. You may need to check adjoining parishes or settlements.
Please note that the records describe the salient features of each property in order to aid identification: the records are not intended to be either comprehensive or exclusive.
Listing covers all parts of the property and its curtilage, ie all internal and external elements whether described or not.

Statutory Listed Buildings
Church of Saint James the Great, Church Hill (north side) - Grade II
1 (Forge Cottage), Church Hill (south side) - Grade II
10 (The Cottage), Front Street (west side) - Grade II
Goscote Hall, Goscote Hall Road (north side) - Grade II
424A, Loughborough Road (west side) - Grade II
School, School Lane (north side) - Grade II
The Cottage, School Lane - Grade II
Locally Listed Buildings
214, The Lodge, Birstall Road - Locally Listed
216, Holly Hays, Birstall Road - Locally Listed
The Holt, Birstall Road - Locally Listed
1~12 & Lodges, Tempest Road - Locally Listed
Church of Saint James the Great, Church Hill (north side) - Grade II
Parish church, medieval but extensively restored in c1860, by Gilbert Scott, and now having a large modern extension to the north, the original north wall having been removed. The medieval building appears to have a late Saxon or Norman core, but is largely late C13 or early C14, and with many later features. Ironstone and granite rubble. West tower, nave with north aisle, chancel. The tower is a squat structure of 2 stages, coursed ironstone rubble on a plinth and with granite boulder course, with quoins and a later ashlar embattled parapet. Single lancet in west wall, and paired lights to bell chamber. Nave has steeply pitched Swithland slate roof, the south wall is Victorian (rebuilt in 1828 and then restored in c1860), granite rubble with sandstone dressings. South doorway has slender shafts and hoodmould with foliate corbels, 2 paired foiled lights with quatrefoils. Eastern coped gable and cross. Chancel is the earliest part of the fabric: coursed granite rubble in small pieces. It is narrower than the nave and also has a steeply pitched roof with eastern coped gable and cross. Its south west window is a shallow round arched splayed opening. Right of it, some indication of a blocked in feature and a C15 2 light square headed window. East window is a simply traceried light with ogee hoodmould and fleuron. One square headed light to north. North aisle largely obliterated by new church building, but its east and west walls are of c1860.
Inside, the tower arch is a late C13 triple chamfered archway, without capitals or any interruption between shaft and arch. Nave of 3 bays with low round piers and double chamfered arches. Victorian tracery in south windows and Victorian timbered roof. Chancel arch is a double chamfered archway on corbels and in the Chancel to the north are two openings through to the north chapel of 1869, and between them a single opening which might be Anglo Saxon or Norman: a single splayed round arched light and incorporated in the glass, fragments of an early latticed wood shutter. Two roughly shaped piscinas to north and south of altar.
Font is C13, a plain circular bowl on a circular shaft. High Victorian stone and marble pulpit. Much good late C19 stained glass, notably in the west wall and chancel and south east nave window, which is by Ward and Hughes of London, dated 1887. In the chancel are 2 monuments one by J Bacon junior, a sentimental death bed scene in marble, commemorating Sarah Mansfield, died 1813. The other, is to John Mansfield who died in 1839.
1 (Forge Cottage), Church Hill (south side) - Grade II
Cottage, probably early C16. Timber framed, now with brick infill, thatched roof. 1½ storeys and 6 bays of large timbered panels, with sill on a high rubble plinth. The central 3 bays have no middle rail, suggesting a possible former open hall. Some arch braces. 2 bays to the right which are of less width and 1 to left have a middle rail. The doorway is in the 3rd bay from the right, with a stack behind it. In each of the other bays, a 2 light casement window with cambered brick head. In the right hand bay, the plinth is interrupted suggesting a former doorway. 3 catslide dormers above. In the gable wall, the framing is in square panels with arch braces, and in the gable itself, 2 inclined struts above the tie beam, one each side of a small window.
10 (The Cottage), Front Street (west side) - Grade II
Cottage, possibly formerly 3 dwellings. Late C16 or early C17 core. Rough cast render over timberframe. Welsh slate roof with cresting. Gable on to street. 2 storeys, and now a 3 unit plan, with 1 bay to right of door. The fenestration is largely C20, with a squared bay window to right and a 5 light slightly projecting window at left hand end of elevation, with a French window and a 3 light casement to the middle bay. 3 upper casement windows and a dormer with glazed gablet. Gable end and one axial stack, which projects through the slope of the roof, rather than from the ridge. In the right hand gable wall , part of the roof truss is visible. Inside, much of the timberwork survives. Beamed ceilings to ground floor with chamfered spine beam in central bay, and timbered partition walls. Wall plate and main trusses and partitions visible upstairs.
Goscote Hall, Goscote Hall Road (north side) - Grade II
Large house, early C19. Brick, with ashlar sandstone dressings, and Swithland slate roof. 2 storeys, 3 bays to each of main fronts. Entrance front has central doorway in pedimented porch with Corinthian columns. The door itself has a stone doorcase of a plain order, with round arched fanlight and flanking small windows. The windows are 12 light sashes with lugged stone architraves. Deep eaves cornice with egg and dart moulding. Stone angle quoins. Big canted bay window in centre of garden front. Service wing to rear, with modern extension built out from its ground floor.
424A, Loughborough Road (west side) - Grade II
Lodge to Goscote Hall. Probably mid C19. Coursed rusticated granite rubble with Swithland slate roof. Picturesque gothic style. Single storey. Entrance front has small coped gabled porch with a four centred archway with hoodmould in each side with Tudor roses etc. in the spandrels. Over the principal arch a panel decorated with trefoils, and the inscription “Vive Vivatque”. Inner doorway also a four centre arch. Two 2 light stone mullioned windows left of the entrance, arched lights in squared hoodmoulds. Single window inside gable wall with blank shield above. Elevation to Loughborough Road has gable to left with canted bay window with mullioned lights and blank traceried parapet. Above it a single square light with ornate foiled pattern. Right hand bay is recessed and contains a single 2 light mullion: arched lights beneath a squared hoodmould. Wood bargeboards with vine scroll decoration, and finials. Large central stack: 3 shafts each differently and ornately decorated with snakes, fish scales etc.
School, School Lane (north side) - Grade II
School, 1860, in Puginian gothic style by W Millican. Granite rubble, with decorative bands of ashlar with brick. Swithland slate roof and coped gables. A long low single storey, with one large gable that interrupts the eaves line. Towards the left of the elevation, an archway in shouldered stone architrave that just cuts the eaves gives on to a recessed porch, in which to left and right are 2 doors with shouldered wood cases. Right of this, 2 large quatrefoil openings just beneath the eaves in stone. Right again is the large coped gable, ashlar containing a blank arch in stone and brick, a continuous line without capitals. One blank circle in its apex, and the date. Paired archways to ground floor, with shouldered architraves and squat central marble column with foliate capital and deep base. On the roof of the gable is a small and graceful cupola, timberwork with alead fleche. Right of the gable 2 more quatrefoil openings, and a buttress. Two dormers in the roof one each side of the gable. North east side wall contains a large stone and brick trefoiled archway surrounding a three lancet window with quatrefoil above. There is a trefoiled opening in the gable apex.
The Cottage, School Lane - Grade II
House, formerly 2 dwellings, now one consisting of 2 parallel and linked ranges of various dates. The earliest part is incorporated in the front (east) range and is C16: a crack framed building with 1 tall cruck visible in the gable wall, and another within. Swithland slate roof. The front elevation has a high rubble plinth with square panelled timber framing in the 2 left hand bays, closer studding to right. Two 3 light casement windows to ground floor. Two gabled dormers above. Rear outshut, and to the left a later (C18) section, brick with Swithland slate roof, 2 casement windows of 2 and 3 lights to each floor, the lower openings with cambered brick heads. Dentilled eaves cornice. Gable wall partially built of rubble. Rear range is 3 storeyed. The lower 2 storeys are C18 and painted rubble, the upper a C19 heightening in brick, 3 bays, with central doorway and sash windows with cambered brick heads. Inside this section, various chamfered spine beams on first two floors. In the older part, in addition to the two pairs of crucks and the main ceiling beams are various fine C18 fireplaces one of which, with a marble bolection moulded surround and hob grate, came from the now demolished Wanlip Hall.
214, The Lodge, Birstall Road - Locally Listed
Lodge. Mid C19, fine example of Gothic Revival. Red brick with relief terra cotta string courses and terra cotta labels to window heads. Elaborate brick dentil detail to gable eaves and relief patterned brickwork to gable above GF windows. Shallow brick arches to all openings. Steep clay tile pitched roof with low eaves. Elaborate central ridge stack with corbelled brickwork at head. Two storeys with 1st floor mainly in roof space. Casement windows Pointed arch canopy to corner door. The lodge, together with the entrance walls, gate piers and lanterns formed the entrance to The Holt.
216, Holly Hays, Birstall Road - Locally Listed
Substantial Edwardian Residence. Early C20 with later C20 alterations. Domestic Revival styling reminiscent of Lutyens / Voysey. Red and blue chequer pattern brick. Green Westmoreland slate hipped roof with half round terra cotta ridge. Asymmetrical principal elevation features twin gables containing semi-circular flat topped brick bays with ‘wrap around’ casement windows extending through two storeys. Herringbone pattern red & blue brickwork between ground and first floor. 2 tall gable stacks and 2 ridge stacks. Composition spoilt by replacement windows and additions. Rear elevation fronting entrance, undistinguished
The Holt, Birstall Road - Locally Listed
Originally a Private House built for a manufacturer in 1872. Subsequently adapted for use as a Childrens’ Home but currently boarded up and empty. Fanciful and fussy freestyle combination of Tudor and Gothic Revival design elements. Designed by Joseph Goddard. Red brick with elaborate brick relief panels and heavy corbelled brick gable trim under roof overhang. Multi pitched and gabled clay tile roofs penetrated by hipped dormers and flat topped swept ‘spire’ crowning angled oriel window. 2 storey polygonal bay fronting garden surmounted by half conical roof. Generally deep overhangs and dentilated eaves. Tall feature stacks.
1~12 & Lodges, Tempest Road - Locally Listed
Almhouses. Perhaps Early C20. Combines Domestic and Tudor Revival styling elements Red brick with stone dressings to main entrance and some windows. Steep pitched clay tile roofs with pitched roof dormers. 2 storeys, 2nd storey within roof space. Ridge and gable stacks with corbelled heads and terra cotta pots. Generally small paned casement windows. Arranged around three sides of a formal garden with lawn and brick flower beds.
Lodges. Built in the style of the Almhouses but perhaps of later date. Single storey red brick with clay tile roofs. Sympathetic but unremarkable.