The Deanery And Attached Gate

The Deanery is a house dating from circa 1707, with significant alterations made in 1807-8 and subsequent changes in 1876, 1893, and 1974. It is constructed of brick with ashlar dressings and has a hipped tile roof punctuated by two brick stacks. The building follows a double-depth plan and is executed in a Queen Anne style, presenting a symmetrical facade of seven windows, with a three-window central section projecting under a pediment. Decorative features include a moulded ashlar coping to the plinth, a platt band with a roll moulding above the ground floor, and a top modillioned timber cornice. The windows have sills and rubbed brick flat arches over what are likely early 19th-century 12-pane sashes. The right return possesses a matching platt band and cornice. The entrance at the right end features a doorcase with fluted Tuscan pilasters, an entablature, and a segmental pediment. It has a bolection-moulded architrave framing a half-glazed door, reportedly moved from the front elevation, although this is disputed. An iron lantern is positioned above the doorway, while a blocked entrance and a blocked window with a 12-pane sash are visible on the left end of the elevation, one on each floor. The left return displays a cornice and a rebuilt left end, along with a segmental-headed casement and sashed window to the ground floor, two cross-casements to the first floor, and two flat-roofed dormers to the attic. The rear of the property includes a rebuilt wall from 1974 and a single-storey addition to the right, while a 19th-century single-storey wing, partly converted into a garage, extends to the left. A tall stair window with small-paned glazing and a top-hung casement are also present, alongside 16-pane sashes on the first floor and three flat-roofed dormers in the attic. Attached to the 19th-century wing is an 18th-century gate, incorporating rebuilt brick piers with pointed oval finials, intricate wrought ironwork, and an overthrow. The interior retains early 19th-century details, including fireplaces, cornices, doorways, and round arches connecting the two front rooms. The entrance hall exhibits plain chamfered panelling, possibly from the early 18th century, arranged in 5 1/2 tiers. The stair hall contains an elliptical arch to the right and a redesigned open-well staircase, altered in the early 19th century and again in 1974. The staircase features a cut string, soft wood treads, twisted-column-on-vase balusters, turned newels, and a moulded, ramped handrail. On the first floor, a room to the right boasts a bolection-moulded fireplace, frieze, and cornice; a central room has a break in the ceiling level and cornice, plus a reused 17th-century cupboard door; a room to the left features a 19th-century fireplace with a cast-iron Regency grate. Despite subsequent changes, the Deanery retains an impressive facade and several noteworthy interior features.