The Old Rectory

The Old Rectory is a house that was formerly the rectory, dating from the late 16th century to early 17th century, with a late 17th-century crosswing and an 18th-century range to the right. It was extended to the rear in the mid-20th century. The oldest central part is timber framed and plastered, while the projecting brick crosswing to the left features a shaped stuccoed gable. The 18th-century range is constructed of red brick, partly plastered. The roofs are plaintiled at the front and pantiled at the rear. The building has two storeys and an attic.

Most of the windows are 20th-century three-light casements, with a total of six. On the ground floor, there is an early 19th-century three-light splayed bay featuring sash windows and a modillion cornice. The entrance, located in the front gable end, has an early 19th-century door with two raised and fielded lower panels and 16 small panes above, set within an open stuccoed porch supported by columns. There are two flat-roofed dormers. The crosswing has an external stack, with the upper half rebuilt, and a gable stack for the later range.

Inside, one room in the central range features two ovolo-moulded bridging beams and exposed plain joists. In the crosswing, there is a similarly-moulded bridging beam with carved barred stop-chamfers that appears to be reused. At the rear of this wing, there is a wide early 19th-century stair with partly missing stick balusters. In the 18th-century range, one bedroom includes some softwood panelling and a fireplace with an eared surround.

The Old Rectory is notable as the birthplace of historian Laurence Echard (1671-1730) and Catherine Suckling, the mother of Lord Nelson, in 1725. Alfred Suckling, the county historian, served as rector from 1839 to 1856.