Sherbourne Priors

Sherbourne Priors is a mid-19th-century vicarage built in brick with stone dressings and a clay tile roof. A late-19th or early-20th-century extension and late-20th-century alterations have been added to the building.

The structure is U-shaped in plan with late-20th-century infill between the north ranges on the ground floor. The principal south-west to north-east range has a double-pile roof, with two further ranges projecting to the rear (north). The building is two to three storeys in height and displays gothic styling throughout.

The principal south-facing façade features two projecting brick gables with steeply pitched roofs and crested ridge tiles. The gables are supported by projecting stepped stone corbels, each supporting a small column beneath the eaves. The bargeboards are carved with cusped detailing and central trefoil designs. At ground floor is a roughly central projecting porch with a moulded stone gothic arch. To the left is a canted bay window with large stone mullions, and to the right a large window with stone transom and mullions and a projecting hood with boss detail. The first floor has three further windows with stone dressings; the left and right-hand windows are identical with six lights and flush stone pediments with relief trefoil carving. Two small lancet windows occupy the apex of the gables. A single-storey 20th-century extension projects to the west from the left of the façade.

The west elevation also features a pair of gables to the south, both with carved bargeboards and corbels matching the south elevation. The left-hand gable has a stone projecting bay window at ground floor with transoms and mullions and a pentice roof above, with a first-storey window with stone dressings and a single-light window at the apex. The right-hand gable is largely dominated by the late-20th-century single-storey extension, with only a single slim first-floor light. To the north stands the two-storey late-19th or early-20th-century extension with a steeply pitched gable roof and tall brick stacks at both north and south ends. A large canted bay window appears at ground floor on the west elevation.

The courtyard (east) elevation is intersected at its centre by a brick wall attached to the former stable range. To the left is a large brick stack with gable to the north, featuring a second-storey single-light window at the apex and a stone window below with trefoil carving. A stone window appears at ground floor to the left (south), with an entrance door with matching stone pediment to the right. To the north the building continues with a two-storey former service range with two further gables reducing in scale as the elevation progresses. Each gable has window openings at ground and first floor with matching stone dressings. A single-storey small store occupies the very north of this elevation.

The rear (north) elevation consists of the gable ends of the former service range (left) and late-19th or early-20th-century extension, with 20th-century infill at ground floor between them.

Internally, the principal entrance on the south elevation leads through a porch to a vestibule and entrance hall. The hall retains its original mid-19th-century stair with square-section newel posts having carved block finials with dentilled detail. The stair is closed-string, panelled with hanging pendants and features a balustrade with splat balusters. Below the balusters runs a moulded string and above is a moulded rail. The hall also retains decorative floor tiles, deeply moulded skirting and architraves, with cusped-detail panelling within the architrave reveals.

The south-west room contains a large bay window, double cornice and deep skirting boards, with a fireplace having an original surround at its west end. A modern glazed door to the north leads to a late-20th-century reception room. To the north is a further reception room with a west-facing bay window retaining original timber shutters. A fireplace with overmantle survives on the north wall, partly boarded up. The room retains a decorative plaster cornice, dado rail with panelling and skirting below.

A large room within the late-19th or early-20th-century extension contains a fireplace at the north end with large timber overmantle with recessed niches. The ceiling features decorative plaster with cornices and repeating plaster designs. Recessed shelving and a cast-iron radiator appear at the south end. The west wall contains three large windows, with the central window forming a large canted bay.

The former service range at the east end contains a former kitchen at its north end, with some rooms retaining panelled window shutters and a service stair to the south.

The first floor comprises a series of bedrooms, each with an ensuite. A variety of 19th-century windows survive, including casements within transom and mullion windows and horned sashes elsewhere. The second floor contains further rooms and loft spaces. The building also features a cellar with storage and built-in shelving.