The Rectory Including Front Boundary Wall

TQ 55 41 SPELDHURST LANGTON ROAD, SPELDHURST

12/528 The Rectory including front boundary wall GV II

Former rectory. C17 origins, maybe even earlier, enlarged and rearranged in the mid/late C19. Ground floor is Flemish bond red brick with some burnt headers. Timber-framing above is hung with peg-tiles. Brick stacks with brick chimneyshafts, the front one with 3 tall divided diagonal shafts. Peg- tile roof.

Plan: Double depth plan house facing west. It is basically 2 rooms wide and 2 rooms deep heated by a series of axial stacks. The front left (north) room breaks forward a little and its roof runs from back to front. This section appears to be the C17 core of the building with a large axial stack in the angle with the main block. Main block has 2 roofs parallel with the front. Details of the layout and the extent (and date) of the older work cannot be described in detail without an internal inspection.

House is 2 storeys with attics in the roofspace.

Exterior: Attractive and irregular 1:1-window front of C19 and C20 windows, the right bay contains C20 casements with glazing bars. Left bay breaks forward and is gable-ended. Ground floor window is a C19 casement containing rectangular panes of leaded glass. First floor has a bay window with an unusual pattern of glazing bars, a tented roof and framed base containing a Gothic arcade pattern. Gable above contains a small arch-headed lancet. Front doorway in angle of front wings and has an unusual porch set at a diagonal angle. Inside there is a 3-sided canted brick porch with a pyramid roof and it contains a timber Tudor arch doorway and plank door with studded coverstrips. Second outer porch on plain posts with front hipped roof and gablet. Main roofs are gable-ended. The left (north) end has a 4-window front includes some attractive C19 casements with diagonal glazing bars and rear includes a couple of French windows in the same style.

Interior: Was not available for inspection at the time of this survey.

The narrow strip of ground along the front is enclosed by a C19 wall of coursed sandstone which returns a short distance round the left end.

There are a number of similar walls close by and these add to the character of the area in the vicinity of the Church of St Mary (q.v.) which includes a good group of listed buildings.

Listing NGR: TQ5534741369