The Old Rectory And Attached Garden Wall

THE OLD RECTORY AND ATTACHED GARDEN WALL

A former parsonage comprising a timber-framed range dating from the 16th century, with an adjoining early 19th-century brick-built range, set in Swardeston.

The 16th-century range stands to the south and measures 2½ cells over 2 storeys and an attic. It is timber-framed, rendered and colourwashed, with a roof of black glazed pantiles. An off-centre axial stack with a gault brick shaft rises to a chimney bay at the right. A 19th-century bell turret is positioned forward to the right of the first cell. To the left stands a half bay with a doorway and a rendered lean-to beneath pantiles. A canted bay window crosses the angle of the half bay, topped with a lead polygonal roof. The first cell features a 4-light casement with pintle hinges and leaded lights to both floors, and a gabled roof dormer with casements similarly finished.

A forward 18th-century 2-storeyed wing spans the chimney bay and second cell. It is of colourwashed brick with wide chamfered angles and a hipped roof of black glazed pantiles. A doorway opens to the ground floor, and a recessed sash with glazing bars lights the first floor. The right return of this wing contains a small 2-light casement with pintle hinges set in a larger recess.

To the east, the right return of the range features a forward bow window extending the full height, fitted with sashes with glazing bars, wood pilasters and entablature, with blank wood panels infilling. A single-storey link connects the 16th-century and 19th-century ranges; in front of this link is a glazed lean-to incorporating a double casement with leaded lights and wrought iron lozenge bars, flanked by two plaques showing a bird crest.

The interior of the 16th-century range retains its timber frame. The stack serves the first cell. The second cell contains a large fireplace with a bressumer. The left end wall to the ground floor has been removed, incorporating the half bay into an early 19th-century lean-to; this features polygonal beams with lamb's tongue stops. A stair rises in front of the stack to the first cell, and a bread cupboard sits before the stair from the 18th-century forward wing.

The first floor retains an apparent window frame to the rear of the first cell, with diagonal braces visible. In the attic, the first cell displays a 2-tier roof of tenoned purlins and thin collars, with a wattle and daub partition to the half bay. The second cell has a higher floor with staggered purlins, no collars, and diagonal braces.

A full-width single-storey link connects to a north range of several phases, including a breadhouse to the west end with a bread oven and a stack shared by the lean-to of the end half bay.

The early 19th-century range to the north was built for a member of the Kemp family. It comprises 3 bays over 2 storeys, with 2 stacks to the rear behind bays 1 and 3. The central bay breaks forward beneath a hipped roof. Recessed sashes with glazing bars light the elevations: 2 x 6 panes to the ground floor and 2 x 5 panes (with a single vertical bar only) to the first floor, all set within flat arches. A central doorway is flanked by fluted Doric columns and carries a classical entablature with mutules, triglyphs and guttae. Double-leaved panelled outer doors open into panelled reveals; double-leaved part-glazed inner doors follow. The returns feature similar sashes, with the left return containing a doorway with a wide moulded surround.

The interior contains an open-string curved staircase with stick balusters and a wreathed mahogany handrail. A fixed stair light with glazing bars displays panes of 16th-century Norwich School glass depicting the Kings of England from William I to Henry VII. The ground floor room to the left features an acanthus leaf frieze and semi-circular headed recesses flanking the fireplace. The room to the right has a reeded fire surround with paterae.

A service courtyard lies to the west of the 16th-century range. Here stands a narrow single-storey range of brick with pantiles and curved angles beneath a curved plain tile roof.

The attached wall sits at the south-east angle of the 16th-century range, built in Flemish bond with a bowed central section. Above this stands a stone pineapple. A stone plaque below, inscribed with a wheatsheaf and sickle motif and marked "K / 1801", commemorates John and Elizabeth Kemp and was erected to mark a bumper harvest.