Presbytery, Church Of The Holy Trinity, Hethe

Presbytery, built in 1832.

MATERIALS: squared coursed limestone, with a slated roof and brick end stacks. The majority of the windows have been replaced with UPVC.

PLAN: L-shaped, with the principal section to the south, and the wing – probably slightly later – to the north-west. The house is linked to Holy Trinity Church, standing to the south-east, by a single-storey sacristy. The north extension of the sacristy is set against the eastern part of the north elevation of the principal section.

EXTERIOR: the principal elevation is of three bays, with a central entrance. The doorway is sheltered by a late-C20 porch with a slated roof. Within this, the original doorcase remains, having a rectangular fanlight with geometric glazing; the six-panel door is probably also original, the upper panels now glazed. The windows have stone lintels, those to the ground floor having keystones contained within the lintel. The west return elevation is blind. The north-west wing is entered to the west; the entrance is enclosed by a modern porch. The windows on this elevation have segmental heads; there is a large window to each storey to the north of the doorway – that to the first floor retaining its leaded casements – and a small window to each storey to the south. The north elevation is blind.

INTERIOR: the principal section contains two rooms to the ground floor, and two to the first floor. The ground floor rooms retain original moulded cornices, and doors and doorcases. The eastern room retains what appears to be an early-C19 chimneypiece, with fluted jambs and frieze. The chimneybreast to the western room is of unusual concave form; the fireplace is gone. To either side are shelves with cupboards below, thought to be original. The straight open-string stair has decorative brackets and panelling to the ground floor; the moulded newels and stick balusters carry the handrail which is ramped towards the landing, and turns to enclose the stairwell. The wing contains the kitchen, which does not retain original features, other than a chimney opening, and a heavy panelled door, leading to the exterior. The cellar retains its stone steps and original proportions. The first floor rooms retain some original doors and doorcases, and there is a small C19 chimneypiece to the eastern room. There has been some partitioning to the first floor.