Loxley House is a Georgian

Georgian architecture

Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...

 building situated off Ben Lane in the Wadsley

Wadsley

Wadsley is a suburb of the City of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It stands five km NW of the city centre at an approximate grid reference of...

 area of Sheffield

Sheffield

Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...

 in South Yorkshire

South Yorkshire

South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...

, England. It is a Grade Two Listed building.

History

The present building was built in 1826 but the first house on the site was constructed in 1795 by the Reverend Thomas Halliday the Unitarian minister for Norton

Graves Park (ward)

Graves Park ward—which includes the districts of Norton, Norton Lees, Norton Woodseats, and Woodseats—is one of the 28 electoral wards in City of Sheffield, England. It is located in the southern part of the city and covers an area of 5.8 km2. The population of this ward in 2001...

. This original structure was an imposing building which stood at the head of a drive which led off Ben Lane. Halliday was something of a local entrepreneur who would later construct the Robin Hood Inn at Little Matlock in Loxley

Loxley, South Yorkshire

Loxley is a village and a suburb of the city of Sheffield. It is a long linear community which stretches by the side of the River Loxley and along the B6077 for almost four kilometres. Loxley extends from its borders with the suburbs of Malin Bridge and Wisewood westward to the hamlet of Stacey...

 in 1804. In 1808 Halliday sold the house to Thomas Payne and it was the Payne family who completely rebuilt it as Loxley House in 1826. The new house was much more impressive in style than the previous building having three storeys and three wide set bays as well as striking Venetian

Palladian architecture

Palladian architecture is a European style of architecture derived from the designs of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio . The term "Palladian" normally refers to buildings in a style inspired by Palladio's own work; that which is recognised as Palladian architecture today is an evolution of...

 windows.

The house remained the property of the Payne family until 1895 with the last member of that family taking up residence in the 1860s. This was the eccentric Doctor Henry Payne who fell out with the local populace and vicar at the nearby Wadsley Parish Church

Wadsley Parish Church

Wadsley Parish Church is situated within the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, it is located on Worrall Road, north west of the city centre in the suburb of Wadsley, which was formerly a village outside the city boundary. The church is quite unusual in that it is not dedicated to a saint...

 over a right of way across Wadsley Common which was part of Dr. Payne’s estate. So virulent was the dispute with the vicar that Payne said he would never go to church again and as a result was buried within the grounds of Loxley House without ceremony in an unmarked brick vault.

In 1895 Alderman William Clegg

William Clegg

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 bought Loxley House, Clegg was something of a local celebrity having played football for Sheffield Wednesday in the 1870s, making two appearances for England

England national football team

The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...

. Clegg was leader of the Sheffield City Council

Sheffield City Council

Sheffield City Council is the city council for the metropolitan borough of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It consists of 84 councillors, elected to represent 28 wards, each with three councillors...

 for many years and became Lord Mayor of Sheffield

Lord Mayor of Sheffield

The Lord Mayor of Sheffield is a ceremonial post held by a member of Sheffield City Council. They are elected annually by the council. The post originated in 1843, with the appointment of William Jeffcock as the first Mayor of Sheffield...

 in 1898. The house had two more tenants after William Clegg left until World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

 when two spinster nieces of Dr. Payne were living there. That was the last time that the house was used as a private residence.

In 1919 the house was taken over by the Cripples Aid Association and later was used by the Sheffield Sea Cadet Corps

Sea Cadet Corps (United Kingdom)

The Sea Cadet Corps is a UK national youth organisation sponsored by the Royal Navy and open to young people between the ages of 10-18 years old. The SCC is the UK's largest Naval Cadet Force with over 30,000 cadets and adult volunteers...

as a base for many years. In 1996 the house was put up for sale and was bought by the property developers Campbell Homes who have turned it into luxury flats and apartments.