Rectory

Rectory

This Georgian-style rectory was built in two phases to an L-shaped plan. The main house, dating to the early 19th century, forms a 2-storey, 3-window range facing east, while the original house now serves as a service wing at the rear south-west corner.

The main house is constructed of rubble masonry with smooth rendered elevations; the rear elevation is slate hung. A shallow hipped slate roof sits above, with rectangular brick stacks on the ridge, capped with brick. The principal elevation faces east with a 3-window range and central doorway set within a flat-roofed porch with shallow parapet. The porch contains double panelled doors. Windows throughout are 16-pane hornless sashes with fine glazing bars and slate sills. The return elevations feature similarly detailed windows: the ground floor has 2 windows (the south return has a blind window to the front), and the first floor has single windows serving the rear rooms. The rear elevation displays a large 30-pane central stair window.

The rear service wing was remodelled when the main house was constructed. It comprises a 2-storey range of rubble masonry with mortar, topped by a shallow pitched roof of small old slates grouted in place. A large rubble stack sits at the west gable. The entrance is offset to the far left (east) of the range, opening from the courtyard to the rear of the main house. Access is via a boarded door in a gable porch with slate roof on rubble piers. Above the door is a small-paned 16-pane hornless sash window set directly under the eaves. A ventilation grille is offset to the right, and a single 16-pane ground floor window is positioned at the west end of the rear (south) wall. Beyond the present extent of the wing to the right (west) are the remains of a further roofless bay with no internal access; its doorway is offset to the right (west) end, and ground and first floor windows to the left are blocked.

Interior

The porch has inner double doors under a rectangular fanlight with glazing bars. The central hallway gives access to principal rooms on either side. A doorway to the rear hall features a teardrop-shaped light above it. The rear hallway contains a dining room to the left (south) and pantries to the right (two small rooms created by a timber partition). An open well staircase at the rear of the house has a ramping moulded rail, stick balusters, and shaped newel posts. The upper floor contains 4 bedrooms arranged as the ground floor, with a former dressing room, now a bathroom, above the front hallway. Most rooms retain original panelled soffits, reveals, and window shutters. Doors have shallow panels. One ground floor room retains a decorative floriate cast iron grate with tiled cheeks; the surround features a plain mantel on scrolled acanthus brackets mounted on fluted piers.

A doorway to the rear of the dining room provides access to the older service wing. An outer door to the rear courtyard to the right (north) and a simple staircase lead up to the servants loft. Beyond a crossbeam and timber partition at the west end of the building lies the main kitchen range with a massive inglenook to the left and a brick-built oven and boiler to the right. The inglenook features a large rough-hewn chamfered bressumer. The upstairs area is now one large open room with an exposed roof containing a single chamfered collared truss. Ground floor rooms of the service wing and part of the main house have quarry tile floors.