Longford is today a junior boarding house for Adams Grammar School in Newport, whose fortunate pupils are able to call this outstanding neoclassical house their residence during term time. Designed by Joseph Bonomi, the house is an excellent example of the more compact, classical villa house that was in vogue in the 1780s and of the tastes of the client, Ralph Leeke (b. 1754), a newly rich nabob who had returned from service with the East India Company.

Leeke had been Paymaster at Islamabad and Resident at Tipperah under the East India Company 1778–1785. His family, though, hailed from Shropshire and had reputedly borne arms since the time of Edward III. The most recent generations to the Colonel, though, had, in effect, been tenant gentry, with his father and grandfather renting The Vineyard at Wellington from the Charltons of Apley Castle (q.v.).

Ralph was the second son of Thomas Leeke and he appears to have followed his elder brother, Thomas (d. 1771), out to India at the age of just sixteen or seventeen, being sent with £400 from his father. He returned to England a rich man in 1786, initially renting Haughton Hall (q.v.) from the Brooke family before acquiring his own property at Longford.

Longford was the site of a fortified manor house which is said to have been acquired by Sir John Talbot (d. 1549) of Albrighton, upon his marriage to Margaret Troutbeck (1492–1559). It eventually passed to his great-grandson, John, 10th Earl of Shrewsbury (1601–1654), and during his time Longford suffered in the Civil Wars. It was described in 1645 by Richard Symonds as: ‘a large brick howse and seat, spoyld and abusd. A garrison of the rebells [Parliamentarians] 1644, delivered up to Prince Rupert’.

After the Battle of Worcester in 1651, the Earl’s eldest son, Lord Talbot, concealed himself in the outhouses of Longford for four or five days. The Talbots were Roman Catholics and Longford was an important centre for the old faith during their time, with a list of resident priests from circa 1650.