Garden Wall And Attached Summerhouse In The Grounds Of The Rectory

The garden wall and attached summerhouse are located in the grounds of The Rectory in Newport Pagnell. The wall dates from the 17th century, while the summerhouse was built around 1700 for Mr. Christie. The wall is made of dark red brick, approximately 16 courses high and 15 metres long, featuring a shaped stone coping and a swept curve that is integrated into the summerhouse's side wall. The summerhouse is constructed of red brick in Flemish bond with blue headers, topped with a plain tile roof that has lead hips. It has a square plan and is raised on a shallow brick arch. Access is provided by four steps on the east side, and it originally had sash windows, which are now boarded over. The summerhouse has a pyramidal roof with exposed shaped rafter ends on timber wall plates, topped with a decorative metal terminal. The interior has not been inspected. Historically, it was likely built before 1703 by Mr. Christie and was part of the extensive gardens of his property, the Old Vicarage, which is now known as no. 79, Old Chantry House. A will from 1703 describes the garden as "a very neat Kitchen and Pleasure garden, laid out in a tasteful Manner, walled around and planted with the choicest Fruit Trees, Evergreens and shrubs and other ornamental Trees and flowers, with a complete raised Brick Summer house, and chimney thereon, neatly sashed and fitted up, and a Temple of Ease in the said Garden, the whole containing 2r 20p." The summerhouse is also said to have been used at one time as a smokehouse.