The Presbytery to the Roman Catholic Church of St Lawrence

The Presbytery to the Roman Catholic Church of St Lawrence

This is a former inn dating from the 17th century, altered and extended in the 18th century, and converted in the early 19th century when it became the Roman Catholic presbytery of the Church of St Lawrence.

The building is rendered and painted, with a tiled pitched roof and stacks set behind the gable ends at the east and west. The gabled front and rear elevations are prominent features.

The building has an L-shaped plan with a carriage arch to the west (originally probably part of the adjacent Squire Public House, listed Grade II), a later kitchen extension that was probably formerly a separate outbuilding, and an 18th-century infill extension in its rear north-west corner. Attached to the rear is a late 20th-century conservatory, which is excluded from the listing.

The south front facing Broad Street is two storeys with an attic and features three steep gables with ball finials. There is a central entrance with an elaborate panelled door. The centre panel has a diamond shape with a fanlight above, set in a stone arched door surround. The early 19th-century windows comprise two on the ground floor flanking the entrance and three on each of the two floors above, with those to the upper floor being smaller. All windows have diamond-shaped lattice bars. To the left is the lower carriage arch with a sash window with diamond-shaped lattice bars of the same period. These windows date from the early 19th century when the building became the presbytery.

The rear elevation consists of a two-bay-wide, three-storey gabled rear wing on the left. Attached to this is the lower kitchen wing, a former outbuilding, with a late 20th-century conservatory attached. To the right is the two-storey 18th-century infill extension, which partially blocks the gabled bay behind it. To the far right is the carriage arch, the roof of which has been extended forward to enlarge the room above the arch, with a brick external wall. The rear elevation has multi-pane sash windows throughout of varied proportions. The attic on the far left is lit by a three-light casement. An earlier stone-mullioned window is set in the small gable behind the slightly lower 18th-century gabled infill extension.

The interior comprises a central hall at ground-floor level flanked by the presbytery office and parlour, which leads to the rear with a cloakroom in the 18th-century extension. A large built-in 17th-century spiral staircase is on the opposite side. Behind the staircase is a utility room and kitchen. The spiral staircase leads to the two floors above, which have bedrooms coming off a central hall. On the first floor, a corridor leads to the room above the carriage arch.

The interiors have been extensively refurbished in the 20th century. The rooms in the 18th-century infill extension to the rear have been stripped of their historic fittings. However, the remainder of the building retains a number of historic fixtures and fittings of note, including panelled doors and deep skirtings throughout. The window in the presbytery office on the ground floor contains a deep, decoratively carved timber window sill, probably dating from the 17th century and believed to be a re-used travel or dowry chest. The parlour and hallway contain horizontal timber wall panelling to wainscot level, dating mostly from the 19th century but re-using older, probably 17th-century, panelling in parts. Both the office and parlour have 19th-century fireplaces.

A large winder stair dating from the 17th century is accessed from the hallway via a wide opening with a finely carved timber double ovolo-moulded four-centred arched surround, suggesting the stair may have earlier origins. The stair is constructed around a very thick and tall post made from a single piece of timber. The threads, becoming narrower towards the top, are carpeted at the bottom and made of timber at the top-floor level.

The roof comprises a standard rafter roof with purlins, probably originating from the 17th century but with extensive later repairs and 19th-century inserted gables.