Description

ST21SE WHITESTAUNTON CP WHITESTAUNTON VILLAGE

5/143 The Old Rectory and Rectory Cottage
(formerly listed as Old Rectory)
and west boundary wall
4.2.58

GV II

Rectory, now divided into 2 dwellings, with west boundary wall. Late medieval, ceiled late C16, east end rebuilt c1835
is main dwelling, in remains of original dwelling walls raised, reroofed, and refenestrated as service wing, divided
into 2 dwellings mid C20 with north extension. Random rubble local stone previously rendered, Ham stone dressings,
double Roman tiled roofs, lowered independently roofed west end [Rectory Cottage), higher C19 range with cross wing and
decorated ridge tiles, coped verges, brick stack west gable end, roughcast to west of blocked through passage, paired
brick stacks off cross wing. L-plan: double ended open hall house, celled to 3-cell and cross passage, inner room
rebuilt as staircase hall with reception rooms in cross wing to east. South front: 2 storeys, 3:2 bays, left 2-light
casements below wooden lintels, right gabled 2-light stone mullioned Window, cross gable end beyond with similar
3-light mullioned and transomed window, ground floor left C20 windows flanking blocked doorway, to right of main
entrance 3-light mullioned and transomed wooden windows reaching to the ground, crenellated Ham stone porch with coat
of arms of the Elton family in the central merlon with date partly eroded,1837, depressed Tudor arch head opening with
decorated spandrels, coeval inner 9-pane glazed door with sidelights with rectangular light above. Right return, 3 bays
with gabled centre, 3-light mullioned and transomed windows first floor, ground floor one only end bay right. Rear
elevation (entrance front of Rectory Cottage) some C19 leaded iron casements surviving and Tudor-style studded plank
door. C19 boundary wall of random rubble chert stone abutting south-west corner of Rectory Cottage and continued south
for about 10m incorporating remains of C16 Tudor arch head doorway with incised spandrels, fly hoodmould and
crenellated top. Possibly the original entrance to the Rectory reset in wall when the house was enlarged. Interior not
seen; Rectory cottage said to contain in the hill a very fine Ham stone moulded depressed 4-centred arch fireplace, the
lintel supported on shouldered jambs, beams with steer chamfers and keeled stars. To right of through passage evidence
of dividing partition running east-west and unchamfered beam with bead moulding running north-south. The Rectory is
well documented in the Victoria County History and was enlarged in the 1830s by the incumbent, W T Elton, who was the
son and brother-in-law of successive lords of the manor. (VAG Report, Unpublished SRO, March 1970; VCH Vol IV,
1978).
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Listing NGR: ST2817510471

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26542808

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects, Supplement 2014
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Kent: North East and East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)