The Old Rectory

The Old Rectory

A rectory, now converted to a house, dating from around 1434 with later alterations and additions.

The building is timber framed with wattle-and-daub and brick infill, brick additions and alterations, and a plain tiled roof. It has two storeys and is H-shaped in plan, with a central hall range of two bays incorporating a cross passage (later floored) flanked by gabled wings. Windows are generally 19th or 20th century replacement casements set in earlier openings, unless otherwise indicated.

The west front features slightly projecting gabled wings flanking a central hall range. The central portion and both wings have close-studded walling to the first floor and gables, with close studding also to the ground floor of the north wing. The south wing was underbuilt in brick in the 1920s. The ground floor of the central range shows a mixture of close studding and small framing. At the far right is a battened door with a blocked original window above it with a cambered head. To the far left is a panel of walling containing no original timbers, marking the original position of a hall window that extended through two floors; it now houses a three-light casement to the ground floor and a two-light window to the first floor. The centre has four single-light casements with a two-light casement above on the first floor.

Both projecting gabled wings have jetties at first floor level, where the underside reveals substantial closely-set floor joists with a single overlapping floorboard between each. The wings have jowled corner posts. The south wing displays two 12-paned sash windows with exposed sash boxes to the ground floor and a three-light casement to the first floor. The north wing has a three-light casement at the centre of the ground floor (appearing to be a reduction from five lights), with smaller casements at either side with higher sills; their mullions bear 16th century mouldings, possibly altered when the windows were first glazed. The first floor jetty is supported on a pair of carved brackets and the first floor window is a slightly projecting oriel with brattishing below the present sill and a tiled roof.

The north flank has a large chimney stack of rubble and dressed stone with offsets to the top and a modern brick upper body. To the right is a blocked two-light first-floor window, and to the left are blocked four-light and three-light windows to the ground floor. At first floor level are a blocked three-light window and open single-light and two-light casements.

The south flank has a brick stack to the left, with external steps at ground floor right and a two-light casement to the first floor.

The eastern rear has small-framed 17th century walling to the recessed hall range with brick infill and two two-light casements to each floor. At far left is the screens passage doorway with its original cambered head and a small original window above. The projecting right wing has small-framed walling to its east face with angle braces; its south flank has 19th century brickwork to both floors. The left wing has close-studding to the north flank and gable end. Studding has been removed from the ground floor north flank of this wing, with glass strips inserted to create a window. A brick 19th century service range adjoins the east face at ground floor level.

Interior

The screens passage has two tall doorways with cambered heads set just below the ceiling, formerly leading to service rooms on its south side. The western of these two rooms was panelled in the early 18th century using raised and fielded panels with a deep cornice, and the fireplace on the south wall has a bolection-moulded surround flanked by pilaster strips and arched niches.

The hall has a deep stone plinth visible on the west side and plain cross-axial ceiling beams at ground floor level. The north wall has had the infill removed between the close studs, creating a screen through to the northern parlour, which sits at a higher level than the hall floor (possibly indicating a former dais at this end). The parlour has a deeply-chamfered beam with arched supports, and its stone fire surround has richly moulded panels with traceried surrounds bearing blank shields to the lintel. Stairs at the south end of the hall and to the east of the parlour ascend to the first floor.

The western first-floor corridor reveals the spere truss at the southern end of the hall adjacent the screens passage, and the open truss of post-and-rafter type to the middle of the hall; both are chamfered and show evidence of soot blackening. The heavy wall plate is also visible. The first floor room above the parlour has a similar stone fire surround with cusped square panels bearing shields to the lintel. The north wall of this room contains a primary blocked window beside a narrow doorway that formerly led to a projecting garderobe, since replaced by the projecting eastern addition to the rear of the north wing. Both original wings have exposed purlins and arched wind braces to their ceilings.