The story of Cheshire's only 18th century Palladian-style country house

It can be found just off the A556 towards Knutsford on Tabley Lane. A previous hall was built on an island in Nether Tabley Mere in 1380 by John de Leycester.

During the 16th century, a descendant, Adam de Leycester, undertook some additions and built a half-timbered gatehouse to the bridge crossing the mere to the great hall.

In the latter part of the 1600s these alterations included an upper story and staircase, the chapel was replaced, and a tower added.

Sir Peter de Leycester, 1st Baronet and grandson of Adam, made further changes to the building.

Sir Peter was a historian and antiquarian, and he earned his baronetcy during the English Civil War when he supported the Royalists.

The present hall, known as Tabley House, was built near the original hall in the 1760s. The old hall was retained as furnished, and the chapel was still used for family worship.

Tabley Hall in the 1860s (Image: Paul Hurley)

Sir Peter Byrne Leycester had inherited the old hall and, between 1761 and 1769, was the man instrumental in building Tabley House with architect John Carr of York.

The family had a great interest in art, and over the years, many paintings were either brought to Tabley House or directly commissioned by the Leycester family.

Considerable changes were made to Tabley House, including moving the front entrance to the north with a view to making the house more impressive.

Unfortunately, the old hall suffered severe subsidence in 1927 due to brine extraction close by, and it partially collapsed, leaving just a ruin.

Tabley House and the estate continued to be owned by the Byrne-Leycester family until 1975, when Lt Col John Byrne Leycester Warren died.

In his will, he had requested that the estate should be taken in by the National Trust, who declined the offer. His second request was that it be passed to a charitable organisation and become part of the Victoria University of Manchester.

Tabley House (Image: Paul Hurley)

The house was used as a school from the 1940s to 1984. In 1988 the university sold the lease to a healthcare company with the proviso that the first floor and contents were preserved.

Parts of the house were converted to accommodate a nursing home, and in 1990 the first floor was made open to the public by the Tabley House Collection Trust.

The original entrance by the stairway was reinstated to enable access.

In 2007 the university sold the estate (but not the house) to the Crown; its 3,600 acres and many properties were generating a rent of more than £500,000 a year.

The ground floor and top floor of the house remain a nursing home, and the first floor, with its paintings and furniture, is open to the public and available for weddings and other occasional events.

Like other large houses in Cheshire, Tabley House featured in the TV series Peaky Blinders when in this case, the chapel was used.

Old Tabley Hall (Image: Paul Hurley)

Whilst Tabley House provides delightful surroundings for meetings, weddings and such like, the acres of rolling parkland is used for various shows such as classic events and access for parties, picnics and simply peaceful walks.

The names Leycester and Leicester are both used.