The Old Rectory

The Old Rectory is a Georgian rectory with an earlier timber-framed core of probable mid-16th century date.

The building has two areas of exposed timber framing, though more may survive beneath later plastering. The ground floor and bay window on the façade are constructed of machine-made red brick with red brick and terracotta dressings, while the upper storeys are rendered and painted white. The side and rear elevations are of handmade brown brick of different phases with brick dressings. The roofs are clad in pantiles.

The building is situated at the northern end of a scheduled moat. It comprises a principal south-facing range of three bays aligned east-west with two Tudor cross wings on the north side, the space between infilled by a Georgian staircase bay.

The principal three-storey range has a pitched roof with a shallow slope at the front with deep eaves supported by paired brackets and a much steeper slope at the back which extends into a catslide. The jetty spanning the façade is supported at both ends by brackets of moulded brick. The façade is dominated by an off-centre full-height canted bay window in the second bay. This is lit by three one-over-one pane horned sash windows on the first floor and two-over-two pane sashes on the upper floors which have flat gauged brick arches and stone sills. The floors are demarcated by moulded brick bands enriched with egg-and-dart in terracotta, with the upper band continued across the façade. Flanking the bay window are, to the left, double-leaf French windows of 20th century date, and to the right, a narrow one-over-one pane sash filled with Art Nouveau style stained glass, a six-panel door, and two one-over-one pane sashes. The two-over-two pane sashes on the upper floors have moulded and shouldered architraves with a reprise.

Projecting from both gable ends are wide chimneys adapted to have narrow flues which have stacks with oversailing brick courses, probably as part of the Georgian alterations. A gabled projection on the east side with a parapet and tiled roof contains the room that was added to conduct parish business. It is accessed on the south side through a double-leaf panelled door with glazed upper panels and moulded lintel, and is lit by three sash windows.

The rear (north) elevation presents a very different architectural form to the façade. At either end are two-storey cross wings constructed of small handmade bricks of probable Tudor date. A gabled projection on the east cross wing formerly contained a WC. To the right is a two-light fixed window. In both gable ends of the cross wings there is evidence of a blocked opening at first-floor level. In the middle of the elevation rises the tall staircase bay, added in the Georgian period, which has a pitched roof that extends downwards to join the west cross wing. The bay is pierced by a tall sash window with slender glazing bars and a semicircular upper section which lights the staircase, and a six-over-six pane sash above. There is a blocked arched opening on the ground floor. The staircase bay is flanked by small single-storey extensions under single pitch roofs with multi-light casements which, from the size of the brick, date to the 19th century.

The interior has overall a Georgian character with surviving fixtures and fittings that include fireplaces, six-panel doors, moulded cornices and some floorboards. The entrance hall leads into the reception rooms in the second and third bays, and through segmental arch openings with roll mouldings to the staircase, rear corridor and service rooms.

The room in the first bay on the left has a substantial chamfered bridging beam and joists, and a wide hearth opening now fitted with an Aga. The room in the second bay has panelling below the window and a full-height plain fireplace surround of handmade red brick. In the third bay the room is lined by a panelled dado with large square panels and has panelled embrasures at the windows. The grey marble fireplace has a mantelshelf supported by shaped brackets and it retains some herringbone brickwork of Tudor date. On the other side of the north wall is an area of close studding with daub infill and a sole plate that was discovered underneath a Georgian stud wall around 2016. Arranged along the rear (north) side of the building is a series of service rooms which retain plank and batten doors with strap hinges. These include a scullery which has a floor laid in red brick with a diagonal drainage channel, and another room containing lime plaster that has been dated to at least the early 18th century, possibly earlier.

The dogleg stair at the rear of the house has a closed string, turned balusters and slender newel posts with square caps. At the top of the staircase on the first floor a pair of arched openings with keystones and panelled square columns lead to the corridor and the upper flight of stairs. The room occupying the first bay contains a grey marble fireplace surround with a cast iron grate and tiled cheeks. The fireplace in the room occupying the second bay is a plain brick opening flanked by arched niches forming display cupboards. The east wall has exposed timber framing consisting of close studding and primary braces, all scored in order to take plaster. In the third bay, a beam has been encased by moulded timber with a lamb's tongue chamfer stop. The room has a lugged fireplace surround of unpainted wood enriched with egg-and-dart and bead-and-reel. It has a bolection frieze and a dentilled mantelshelf. The upper floor contains a series of small Victorian fireplaces with wooden surrounds and ornate cast iron grates. One of these is more impressive with flanking reeded columns, a reeded frieze with corner blocks, and a cast iron grate with an ornate hood and tiles.

The Old Rectory and moat is bounded on the west side by a red brick wall laid in English bond with stone saddleback coping. Towards the southern end is a pair of iron gates flanked by substantial brick piers. The gates have verticals with spearhead finials along the top and middle rails and a row of pierced quatrefoils along the lock rail. To the north is a single gate in a similar style with a scrolled overthrow. Approximately halfway along, the wall changes to a low buttressed wall surmounted by railings with spearhead finials.