The Old Rectory

The Old Rectory is a former rectory at Kenn, of late 16th century or earlier origins, substantially remodelled around 1830 and undergoing major reconstruction in the 1970s and 1980s.

The building is constructed partly of stone rubble and partly of cob on stone, all rendered with pebbledash. It has a concrete tile roof, hipped at the ends, which replaced an earlier 2-span slate roof. The chimney stacks have modern brick shafts.

The plan reveals a complex building history. Evidence suggests a large early house with a solar or chapel block at the left end, which retains a high-quality 16th century roof. The ground floor of the right end preserves early 17th century carpentry detail. The central section is a complete early 19th century rebuilding. A watercolour by J. Swete dated 1795 shows the house had an H-plan with a main block and cross-wings. The early 19th century alterations appear to have involved making the main block double-depth. The current arrangement comprises the 16th century wing on the left (now a garage at ground floor level), the 19th century middle block with an entrance leading to a stair hall at the front separated from a rear sitting room by an axial passage, and a service block at the right end which retains some early 17th century features. The house was entirely re-roofed in the 1970s, though the 16th century roof at the left end was retained.

Externally, the building is two storeys tall, with an asymmetrical front elevation of 4:3 windows and regular fenestration. The right end, containing 3 windows, projects forward. A late 19th century glazed timber porch sits in the angle between the main block and the projecting front, with a tiled lean-to roof (partially replaced) and some stained glass. The front door is an early 19th century panelled timber door with deep panelled reveals. To the left of the front door, a garage occupies the ground floor of the 16th century block. Above is a porch with four 12-pane early 19th century timber sash windows on the first floor. To the right of the porch are two 18-pane sashes lighting the dining room, and above them are two more 12-pane sashes. The ground floor right has a 4-light, probably 17th century, ovolo-moulded mullioned window. Two 2-light casements appear at the right end, which rises to three storeys.

The left return of the 16th century block features a deeply-chamfered narrow 1-light window to the right, a 16th century chamfered doorframe (now blocked) to the left, and a 20th century first floor window to the left that conceals a similar internal 18th century stone doorframe. The rear elevation has a late 19th century porch matching the front porch but with a hipped tiled roof, and an early 19th century round-headed stair window above it. Rear windows include 19th century sashes: 3 over 6-pane sashes on the first floor to the left, 18-pane sashes on the ground floor to the left, a 12-pane first floor sash to the right with a 20th century window below.

The interior largely retains early 1830s decoration and joinery, including plaster cornices, shutters, good doorcases and doors, skirting boards, marble chimneypieces, and a fine stair with turned balusters, decorated string, and ramped wreathed handrail. The ground floor right room at the front preserves probably early 17th century carpentry: a chamfered crossbeam with moulded half-beams and a partly-blocked 17th century fireplace with an ovolo-moulded timber lintel and one exposed stone jamb. Other chamfered ceiling beams survive at this end of the house. The garage at the left end preserves a chamfered step-stopped crossbeam. The stone doorframes on the left return of the house suggest a former external stair.

The left end retains six arched brace trusses of jointed cruck construction, though not all are complete and the ridge is missing. The jointed crucks are side-pegged and the braces are chamfered, with no evidence of smoke-staining. The main roof is late 20th century.

This is an extremely interesting evolved house documenting significant changes over more than four centuries.