The Old Rectory

The Old Rectory is a large house, originally a rectory, dating to the later 17th century, with substantial renovations in the early 18th century, a southwest extension and improvements by Reverend Maplecroft between 1784 and 1806, and restoration work following a fire in 1959-60. The house is constructed with a timber frame, roughcast rendering, and panelled pargeting. It has hipped roofs covered with steep old red tiles, some of which are bellcast. The building is L-shaped, two storeys high, with a cellar and attics, set within a moated site. The interior plan is of three irregular cells, adapted to create a wide through stair hall with a cellar underneath. The west side contains drawing rooms, while the services and dining room are located in the east, with single-storey extensions to the east. An internal chimney is present in the eastern part, and a former rear lateral chimney in the west was altered to an internal stack with the construction of the southwest extension.

The north front has an irregular facade with four windows on the upper floor and three on the lower level, with the front door off-centre to the west. The windows are cross windows with rectangular leaded glazing; the left-hand ground floor window has “Stally 1767” etched into it. The right-hand side has two flush box sash windows on each floor, with 6/6 panes to the upper sashes and triple sashes below. A small round window is positioned between the upper windows. A lean-to extends from the east end. The west front features two flush box sash windows on each floor, with 6/6 panes above and triple sashes below, and a small round window between the upper windows. The rear has a projecting wing on the left with a single-storey rectangular bay window created around 1960. The main range's roof has three hipped dormers, two upper sash windows, and a glazed door in the angle.

Inside, the staircase has a cut string with stick balusters, extended to the attics after the removal of a service staircase circa 1960. The entrance door features a cut ovolo panel moulding from the early 18th century. Other interior details include 6-panel ovolo moulded doors with stopped architraves, ovolo moulded panelling within the stair enclosure and lobbies on each floor adjacent to the chimney in the west wing (including a dentilled cornice in the upper lobby), and a northeast chamber with a cockspur fastener to a plate casement in the leaded cross-window. There is also a 2-panel ovolo moulded door with H-hinges in the attic. The roof structure consists of a butt-purlin, collar-truss system with squared oak rafters.

The building is associated with James Fleetwood, Chaplain to Charles II and later Bishop of Worcester, and Robert Neville, author of the comedy 'The Poor Scholar', who was made rector in 1671 by Sir Roland Lytton.