Listed Building record MDR2565 - Overseal House, Main Street, Overseal

House owned and designed by Joseph Wilkes c. 1780 using materials from his own brickyard. Wilkes (1733-1805) was an extraordinary entrepreneurial figure who pioneered the integration of transport systems, extractive and processing industries, manufacturing and marketing. Interests included the brickworks, cheese production, an iron foundry, a bakery, coal mining, cotton mills, bleaching and the Trent and Mersy canal. (1) A grade II* listed row of four houses; now one. It was built in the late 18th century with early 19th century additions. It is built of red brick with gauged brick dressings and stone first floor sill bands, that to the centre five bays wider and set higher up than those to either side. It also has a plain stone plinth. It has hipped graduated slate roofs with brick ridge stacks, lead flashings and moulded stone cornices. It comprises two storeys and seven bays. The central five bays are late 18th century and slightly advanced, the flanking bays are early 19th century. The three central bays are advanced and pedimented, and have three glazing bar sashes to the ground floor. To either side there are semi-circular headed recesses enclosing reeded Venetian doorcases; that to south has a panelled door and that to the north has a half-glazed panelled door, both with coloured glass fanlights. Beyond to either side, the later bays have central glazing bar sashes. Above there are seven similar glazing bar sashes and a small inserted one to south side of the northern-most window. Those to central five bays are considerably smaller than the ones to either side. The rear elevation has a similar arrangement of windows but with a central bow to the ground floor. All windows have flat gauged brick arches. Inside there is an elegant stick baluster curving staircase with a wreathed handrail in the northern hall, and a large early 19th century rear sitting room with a marble fireplace, which has acanthus leaf decoration, and all the original beaded mahogany doors, plus original cornice and skirting. (2)