The Old Rectory

The Old Rectory is a rectory with an added schoolroom, now a house, dating from 1737. A schoolroom was added in 1786, and the building was altered in 1837. It is constructed of red brick with painted stucco, with Welsh slate and pantile roofs. The building features two rendered chimney stacks and a single external gable stack, with two and three storeys.

The south-west street front has a projecting porch with paired pilasters and a pediment. The entrance features double three-panel outer doors and an inner part-glazed door with an overlight. To either side are single projecting shallow bays with pilasters and tripartite margin light sash windows. Above, there is a narrow central 12-pane glazing bar sash window flanked by single, broader 16-pane glazing bar sashes. To the right is a single-storey former schoolroom with a hipped slate roof, containing a single 12-pane glazing bar sash window to its south-east side. The rear facade is three storeys high, with a projecting gabled wing to the right. A central doorway has a glazed lean-to porch, and the ground floor windows are mostly 20th century casements, except for the former schoolroom to the left, which has a tripartite glazing bar sash window. Above, there are various glazing bar sash windows.

Inside, a full-height wooden staircase features square balusters, a turned newel post, and a curved wooden handrail. Bay windows have good quality panelled shutters and window seats in wooden surrounds. The dining room has segmental alcoves, a moulded cornice, and a stripped early 18th century fireplace. The former schoolroom has a fireplace and shutters similar to those elsewhere in the property. The drawing room has an early 19th century fireplace. Panelled doors are present throughout, with moulded surrounds. Upper floors contain early 19th century fireplaces, boxed-in beams, and some original 18th century doors with original brass handles and locks. A rear room on the second floor has a very unusual curved plaster ceiling. The front ridge retains original roof trusses and exposed purlins. The rectory was built for the Rev John Nesfield, extended in 1786 for the Rev Digby Caley, and altered in 1837 for the Rev John Higginson.