The Deanery And Paley Flats And Adjoining Outbuildings And Stables

The Deanery, along with Paley Flats and associated outbuildings and stables, is a substantial building with a complex history, primarily dating from the 13th and 14th centuries, with additions in the 15th century. It suffered damage in 1644 and was restored between 1671 and 1694, and again between 1704 and 1732. Further internal alterations were carried out around 1813, by William Fowler, and additions were made in 1872 and 1879. The building is constructed of ashlar, dressed stone and brick, with ashlar dressings and plain tile roofs, featuring two ridge, one gable, and one side wall stacks.

The exterior is characterised by coped gables, coved eaves, and a crenellated parapet to the south-east angle. The building is arranged over two storeys plus attics, with a six-bay facade. The north front includes a canted bay window dated 1491, with a two-light window on the ground floor and a five-light window above, both untraceried. Further mullioned windows, dating from the 19th century, are also present, alongside a wooden cross casement and irregular fenestration. The east front features a recessed centre between gabled wings, with a 19th-century gabled addition containing a round-headed doorway with shafts and a sash window with a central shaft. The right wing has mullioned windows on each floor, while the left gable features wooden cross casements and a wood mullioned window above.

The interior includes a vestibule with a round-headed blind arcade and two late 17th-century moulded stone doorcases with keystones (one being a replica). A central hall contains late 17th-century dogleg oak staircases with landings and turned balusters, linked by a late 18th-century gallery supported by Ionic piers. A first-floor drawing room has a moulded cornice and an early 19th-century wooden Classical fireplace. Traces of 12th-century painted decoration are located on the west wall of the north range. To the east of the main building are single-storey outbuildings with sliding sashes and a 17th-century stable, two storeys high, with a plan and pantile roofs.