The Old Rectory

The Old Rectory

A rectory of 18th century and 1836 date, designed by Richard Sheppard for the Rector of Oswaldkirk. The main house is constructed in ashlar under slate roofs, with the road elevation in coursed dressed stone with ashlar quoins. The building incorporates an 18th century barn in coursed rubble under a pantile roof. The roof is low pitched with wide dentilated eaves, and the two central chimneys are in white brick.

The plan comprises a main house with two rooms to either side of an entrance hall and drawing room, with service rooms to the right and a stable block (the former barn) at right angles to the service wing to the rear. The site slopes down to the rear and the right.

The front elevation to the road faces north and features a central distyle in antis entrance porch with an original door to the left, a central blind arch and a round arch window to the right, recessed behind two columns and two engaged pillars, and two round arched windows above. The bay to the left has a blind window to the ground floor and a 6 over 9 unhorned sash at first floor. To the right is a matching window at first floor, and two 6 over 6 sashes at ground floor. The service wing to the right has a lower roofline, 4 over 4 sash windows and an entrance door.

The garden elevation to the south has a central single storey canted bay with three 6 over 6 unhorned sash windows and a first floor window of one 2 over 2 central light flanked by narrow four pane lights. To each side are 6 over 6 sashes, those at first floor narrower than the ground floor. A string course extends from the top of the bay to either side, and a deep plinth accommodates the fall in ground level. The service wing to the left is stepped back and has an arched glazed entrance and a gabled bay to the left with 6 over 6 sash above and a later casement below. The former barn extends at right angles from the middle of the service wing, with a doorway to the left. Remains of render are visible on the wall to the left of the barn. The barn has a vehicular entrance, a door and an 8 over 8 unhorned sash window on the left side and a single window in the gable end.

The east elevation is three windows wide. At ground floor are 6 over 6 unhorned sashes with the outer two set in recessed blind arches. At first floor is a central narrow 6 over 6 sash flanked by two-light casements set in recessed panels. The string course extends at first floor height on the forward panels between the blind arches.

The west elevation has two ground floor and one first floor sashes, with remains of render on the wall and some evidence of alterations.

The interior is accessed through a main door into the entrance hall, which features a cantilever staircase to the right with stick balusters, a wooden handrail with wreathed end, open string and carved brackets. Iron brackets have been inserted at first floor landing level to reinforce the balustrade. The floor is patterned stone flags. Doorways lead to the principal rooms. To the left, the dining and breakfast room, originally two rooms now joined, retains original windows and shutters, cornice, and a grey steel fireplace with plain grey marble surround. The drawing room to the rear has a canted bay window, ornate ceiling rose, frieze and cornice, and a white marble and polished brass fireplace. To the right, through an arched opening, is the library to the rear, with original windows and shutters and a wooden Adams style fire surround. The kitchen to the front has been opened out into the former corridor, and the floor level raised; part of the original stone flagged floor is visible. A short flight of steps leads down to a lower floor level and continues into the cellars. Three further service rooms lie beyond, the furthest adapted from stables. An original fireplace in the middle service room has been lost and replaced with one on the opposite wall. An inserted staircase to the first floor is opposite the first of these service rooms.

The former barn, redesigned as a coach house and stables in 1836, is in poor repair and retains few original features.

The first floor of the house retains its original layout for the most part, with original doors and almost all windows, and some original fireplaces. The first floor windows to the garden elevation on either side of the bay are higher than the ceilings of the rooms, and there are cut-outs in the ceilings to accommodate this, apparently an original feature. A two room attic floor above shows evidence of original roof timbers, and extensive cellar floor below. The ground below the dining and breakfast room has been excavated and the floor joists are supported on stone and brick pillars.

The gardens to the south of the house are landscaped, with the ground falling away substantially to long views. There was no direct access from the principal rooms to the garden.

The earliest part of the building is the former barn, now an outbuilding range at right angles to the main house, which dates from the early 18th century according to evidence from Glebe Terriers. Plans survive of the new rectory design dated 1836, showing a range of buildings to the south and west which were to be demolished, the former barn which was to be retained, and the layout of the new rectory. The rectory was financed by a mortgage agreement between the Rector, the Reverend George Henry Wandesford Comber, and the Governors of the Bounty of Queen Anne for the augmentation of the maintenance of poor clergy. The building is substantially unchanged from the plans except in two particulars: the canted bay to the drawing room is shown as rounded in the plans, and a wide, shallow semi-circular construction to the front of the service wing, intended to contain a well, coal room and store for knives and shoes, was apparently never built. The blind window to the front left bay was designed as such from the outset. Little has been altered apart from the opening out of the dining and breakfast rooms, which was done before c.1970. The first floor above the western end of the service wing was rented out separately at one time, and an external staircase and entrance door were constructed; these have been removed, though the wall still shows evidence of former changes.