Priest'S House

The Priest’s House, now a church hall, dates to the early 16th century with alterations in the early 19th century. It is a timber-framed building, originally weatherboarded and plastered, now with a peg-tiled roof. The building consists of a large rectangular room aligned northeast, with a smaller section partitioned off at the north end. A parallel block was added to the west in the early 19th century, connected by a central entry passage and doorway. The south facade features three early 19th-century sliding sash windows—one in each block—with four-by-three panes of glazing and simple moulded architraves and weathering hoods. A 20th-century door with simple sunk panels is centrally located.

The eastern block was converted from a house in 1973, exposing some of the original timber framing. Much to the south of the house was removed, but the north bay remains largely intact. This bay includes a storeyed end, likely the solar of a medieval house, with heavy studding in the outer walls and a partition frame. Features include jowled storey posts, tie-beams, and a collar. Shutter grooves in the end tie-beams and collar suggest an originally one-and-a-half storey construction, supported by peg holes for middle rails. The present doorway through the partition appears to be on the site of the original hall doorway. The hall area has been significantly rebuilt, obscuring much of the medieval evidence. Surviving elements include wall plates, a central tie-beam with evidence of a wall post and arched braces from a former open truss, and remnants of a roof structure with a crown post joint and mortices for upper partition studding. A lower tie-beam, possibly for a screen, extends towards the south end. The roof includes a 19th-century replacement in some areas, but retains evidence of soot and heavy charring. Dating evidence is lacking, but well-made chamfers with run-out stops are present. The building’s original construction likely occurred before around 1560, probably around 1500. The ground level has risen by at least 0.5 meters since the original build, restricting headroom. The Priest’s House is grouped with the nearby Church of All Saints.