The Priest'S House

MUCHELNEY CP ST42SW - 8/225 The Priest's house 17.4.59

GV I

Priest's Lodging, C14 and later. Local lias stone roughly cut and squared, Ham stone dressings; thatched roof with stepped coped gable to west, half hipped to east; brick chimney stacks. Two storeys, 4-bay south elevation. Bay 1 has 3-light chamfered mullioned windows, possibly C19, with flat heads, and square labels; bay 2 has moulded pointed arched doorway with arched label, old boarded and studded door, with covermoulds to joints; bay 3 has a 4-light full-height mullioned and transomed solar type window, with 4-centre arched lights below transome and cinquefoil cusped lights above, with quatrefoils in tracery, late C15 probably, all under square label; bay 4 has a 4-light hollow chamfered mullioned window with 4-centre arched lights having some early external ferramenta, under square label; above a small 2-light window with trefoil cusped lights and incised spandrils, possibly C14, this last cut into thatch: all windows leaded, bay 1 with rectangular panes, the remainder with diamond panes. Internally, cross passage layout, with solid walls to cross-passage; west room has small plain fireplace with chamfered and cambered timber lintol with scroll stops, and this and ceiling beams suggest C17 reshaping at this end: four-centre arched moulded doorway with wood frame to east wall of passage; centre room has adapted wave-mould fireplace, and partition against parlour part stone and part wattle and daub, including a semi-circular headed stone doorway with plain chamfer; 4 sections of a 6-panel moulded beam and panel ceiling remain, the others removed for staircase; at first floor level another wattle and daub partition over cross-passage with later door cut in. Roof frame incorporates raised crucks, except at west end. The original form and subsequent alteration of house much discussed: the house first mentioned 1308, said to be "ruinous' in 1608; it was used by the vicar or curate until c1840, when the house was used as a cellar and later as a school, and in late C19 was rented by a farmer. Acquired by the National Trust in 1911. (VCH, vol III, 1974; Panten W A, Medieval Priest's Houses in south west England, Medieval Archaeology 1957; Wood M, The English Medieval House, 1965; VAG Reports, Unpublished SRO, 1972 and 1979).

Listing NGR: ST4291824962