The Old Rectory And Attached Outbuildings

The Old Rectory, now a house, likely began in the early 18th century. It was altered by Thomas Telford, probably in the late 18th or early 19th century, substantially rebuilt around 1825 by William Abbott of St. Neots, and extended around 1846 by J. Easton of Titchmarsh. It is constructed of squared coursed limestone with an ashlar facade and has Welsh and Collyweston slate roofs.

The house has a double-depth plan and two storeys. The main front, facing the garden, has a five-window arrangement. Four bays to the right date to around 1825, featuring sash windows with glazing bars under stone lintels with keyblocks; the windows are smaller on the first floor. The centre two bays contain a large, mid-19th century stone bay window on the ground floor, with matching sash windows above and a moulded cornice to the parapet. A one-bay range to the left is also from the mid-19th century with tall tripartite sash windows with glazing bars under stone lintels. The right-hand four bays have a hipped roof, while the left-hand bay has a separate hipped roof. Brick and stone stacks are located at the ridge and ends of the building.

The front facing Main Street has a three-window range, also dating to around 1825, with a two-storey porch projecting forward, containing a recessed glazed door with an arch-head fanlight. The sash windows have glazing bars similar to the main front. A quadrant attached to the right of this front elevation has a large stair window with glazing bars and shutters, and connects to an earlier 18th-century range, now part of the outbuildings. This earlier range has a Collyweston slate roof and three hipped eaves dormers facing into a courtyard at its side. A single-storey range of outbuildings, with a blank wall to the garden, is attached to the left of the Main Street front and forms the courtyard’s third side.

Inside, the house features an early 19th-century staircase with a stick balustrade and some early/mid-19th century fireplaces. The building is included on the list for its group value.