The Old Rectory

The Old Rectory is a house, originally used as the rectory for Holt, and now divided into two separate residences. It dates back to the 16th century, with substantial rebuilding in the 17th century, followed by extensions and alterations in the mid-18th century and mid-19th century. The house is constructed primarily of brick with tiled roofs, and has gable end parapets. A large, external chimney of coursed sandstone rubble is located on the west elevation, with a rebuilt brick stack. Additional brick chimneys are present on the sides and ridge of the front range, as well as at the rear. The building is two storeys high, with a dentil eaves cornice. It has a U-shaped plan, with the eastern arm now forming the front elevation.

The sandstone chimney is the oldest part of the building, likely marking the gable end of an earlier timber-framed building aligned east to west. During the 17th century, this was replaced by a three-story brick structure consisting of two parallel ranges. In 1739, this was reduced to two storeys, with an additional block added to the east elevation. Around 1800, a further block was added to the east, and a gardener’s cottage was built to the north of the main house. Later in the 19th century, the gardener’s cottage was incorporated into the main house via a linking wing, and a north wing was added to the 17th-century west range. A gabled porch was built onto the east front.

The front elevation, dating from approximately 1800, is constructed of patterned Flemish bond brick in orange and blue. It has four window bays, a central entrance, and all windows have cambered heads. The ground floor windows are glazing bar sashes. The first floor of the left half of this section contains two three-light casements, while the right half has two 20th-century casements. A central, brick, gabled porch features scalloped bargeboards, a part-glazed door with a cambered head. Adjoining the porch to the right is the gable end of the former gardener’s house, with a 20th-century door and a blocked ground floor window, and an attic light. The 18th-century south elevation has a moulded doorcase with a broken pediment and entablature on Doric columns, leading to a part-glazed door.

Inside, an alcove to the left of the sandstone chimney on both floors was formerly a baking oven. A diamond-shaped plaque in the central 18th-century part of the building bears the initials “J F W” and the date “1739”, referring to the Reverend John Whitehead, who oversaw the 18th-century additions.