Gawsworth is a civil parish in Cheshire East, England. It contains 20 buildings that are recorded in the National Heritage List for England as designated listed buildings. Of these, three are listed at Grade I, the highest grade, two are listed at Grade II*, the middle grade, and the others are at Grade II. Apart from the village of Gawsworth, the parish is rural. The most important buildings in the parish, all listed at Grade I, are Gawsworth Old Hall and associated structures, St James' Church, also with associated structures, and the Old Rectory. Listed at Grade II* are Gawsworth New Hall and an associated barn. The Macclesfield Canal runs through the parish, and there are three listed structures associated with this, two bridges and a milestone. The other listed buildings are houses, farm buildings, a grave, a public house, a war memorial, and a boundary stone.
The cross base in the churchyard of St James' Church is in sandstone. It consists of a two-stepped plinth rising to an octagonal base with carved beasts' heads at the corners. On this is set an octagonal shaft carrying a 20th-century circular wooden cross. The cross base is also a scheduled monument.[8][10][11]
The walls encircle the garden to the south of Gawsworth Old Hall. They are in brick with stone dressings. They have a rectangular plan, with a bowed wall at the southern end. There are two blocked pedestrian entries.[12]
The farmhouse is built in stone and has a stone slate roof. There are later alterations and additions. The farmhouse is in two storeys with an attic, and there is a central projecting wing. One of the windows is mullioned, and another is circular.[13]
A public house in brick with stone slate roofs. It consists of an original block, with a later cross-wing to the left, and additions in the angle between them. The original block is in three storeys, and has a two-bay front. The cross-wing is in two storeys, also with two bays. The windows are casements.[14][15]
A brick house with stone dressings on a stone plinth and with a stone slate roof. It is in two storeys, and has a three-bay front. To the right of the centre is a projecting gabled bay containing a circular clock face, which was added later. The windows are casements, some with mullioned or mullioned and transomed surrounds.[14][16]
The house was begun by Lord Mohun but was largely abandoned after he was killed in a famous duel in 1712. It was extended and altered in 1914 by Hubert Worthington, creating an E-shaped plan. The house is built in brick with stone slate roofs. It is in two storeys with an attic, and has a garden front of 16 bays, and a left side of seven bays. Most of the windows are sashes. In the attic are hippeddormers.[14][18]
The barn is built in brick with a stone slate roof. It is in two storeys, and has a front of nine bays. In the centre is an archway, and the walls contain ventilation slits.[19]
This originated as a pigeon loft, and was later converted into a house. It is in brick with a stone slate roof, and has three storeys. The windows are a mix of sashes and casements.[14][20]
The gate piers are at the northeast entrance to the churchyard of St James' Church. They are in stone, and consist of two square piers on projecting plinths. On the front and the rear of the piers are carved reliefs of skull and crossbones. On the caps are two balls, one above the other.[21]
Samuel "Maggoty" Johnson was a playwright and professional jester who lived and died in Gawsworth Old Hall. His tomb is in woodland near the hall and consists of a tomb-slab on a 20th-century plinth. The tomb-slab is inscribed with a poem, probably written by himself. Adjacent is a 19th-century slab inscribed with a corrective message.[22][23]
The farmhouse is built in brick with a slate roof. It is in two storeys and has a symmetrical three-bay front. There is a central arched doorway with a fanlight. The windows are casements.[24]
The milestone stands by the towpath of the Macclesfield Canal. It is in sandstone with a shaped top. Inscribed on the appropriate faces are the distances in miles to Hall Green and Marple.[27]
The war memorial, designed by Frederick Etchells, stands at a road junction, and consists of a timber Calvary on a stone plinth. It has an octagonal shaft, the figure of Jesus is about 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) tall, and above it is a roof with copper flashings. On the plinth are inscriptions and the names of those lost in the two World Wars.[29]