Description

WITHIEL WITHIEL
SW 96 NE
3/157 The Old Rectory (formerly
6.6.69 listed as Old Parsonage)

GV II

Rectory or parsonage, now house. Probably C17 or earlier origin, said to have been
built by Prior Vyvyan of Bodmin; extended and remodelled in early C19, circa 1815,
with C20 alterations. Granite rubble; rendered front. Asbestos slate roof over the
main range, with gable end to right, hipped to left. Gable end stack to right and
axial stack to left, with brick shafts. The coach house/parish room to front right
has a hipped slurried scantle slate roof.
Plan: Originally a 2-room plan, with larger room to left and smaller room to right,
each heated from a gable end stack. Circa 1815, an addition of one-room plan was
made to the left end, heated from a fireplace backing on to the original gable end
fireplace to left. The house was re-fronted in Gothick style, and a straight stair
inserted in the fill width of the passage between the 2 rooms. At about the same
time, an addition was made to right, forming a wing to front ; This contains coach-
houses to rear, entered at the right side, and a room to front which may have been
used as a parish room. Later C19 single storey, service wing behind the addition to
left, originally heated from a gable end stack with oven ; with a later small single
storey addition at the end.
Exterior: 2 storeys, asymmetrical 4-window front; all windows are early C19, Gothick
style casements with pointed arched lights and Y tracery with square hoodmoulds.
Embattled parapet carried round a shallow 2-storey porch. The porch has a pointed
arched outer doorway with hoodmould, inner door of C19, half-glazed with Gothick
glazing. Single casement above. To right a 2-light casement at ground and first
floor. To left a 2-light casement at ground floor and 3-light casement at first
floor. The end bay is slightly set back with 2-light casement at ground and first
floor. The wing to front right is in sandstone rubble at ground floor smaller blocks
of granite rubble above, probably raised in height; plank door with segmental brick
arch at ground floor to front. The right side has two C19 16-pane sashes at ground
floor and one at first floor to right ; C20 window at first floor to left. The wall
is stepped forward to right, with 2 double carriage doors with segmental brick
arches. The rear of the coach-house has 2 rows of square pigeon holes under the
eaves, with 9-pane light and blocked door. The left side of the house has half-
glazed C20 door ; the service wing has 4 C20 windows and curved oven at the end,
stack truncated. The rear of the main range has a 2-panelled door with slate hood ;
9-pane light with HL hinges and timber lintel at first floor to left, small single
light at first floor to right, possibly the site of an early stair. The service wing
has 4-pane light, door and 9-pane C20 light, with single storey small addition at
end.
Interior: The house retains good Gothick features internally; 6-panelled doors with
pointed arched panelling, similar shutters to windows and a pair of cupboards in the
room to left of the entrance. Straight stair inserted in the passage, with Gothick
pilasters. The room to right has Gothick door, and fireplace with timber lintel.
The room to left has fireplace with timber lintel and cloam oven to rear left. The
room to end left has fireplace with cambered moulded timber lintel. At first floor,
the feet of the principal rafters are boxed in, roof not accessible. Over the porch
is a small cupboard, with moulded wooden frame. To left, in the back wall, there is
a single light with deep splayed reveal, possibly an early stair site.

Listing NGR: SW9939165367

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26598000

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.

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  Kent: West and the Weald: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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