Description

1874. Simple 2-storey gabled rectory with 2-storey wing at rear and lower single storey outbuildings at right angles, forming service court. In accordance with Section 1 (4A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 the following is excluded from the listing: the circa 1900-1920 lean-to brick shed with corrugated iron roof, located to the exterior of southwest wall of service court.

Squared and snecked whinstone, with buff sandstone ashlar dressings. Base course, chamfered reveals; stone mullions; segmental lintels at 1st floor. Stone finials. 3-bay entrance elevation with segmentally arched door at centre, flanked with capitalled nook-shafts. Plate glass fanlight above 2-leaf door; bipartite windows at ground to left and in advanced gabled outer bay to right, at ground and 1st floor. Gabled dormerheads to 1st floor windows breaking eaves at centre and to left, with trefoil motif at apex in gabled bays. 2-bay side elevations, each with slightly advanced gabled bay; canted window at ground to advanced bay of the south elevation. Predominantly modern glazing. Grey slated roof, with ashlar coped skews and corniced ashlar stacks.

The interior was seen in 2015 and has some decorative mantelpieces and cornicing comprising floral, leaves and grapes motifs. This detailing is predominantly to the principal rooms and includes a marble mantelpiece to the drawing room. Dentilled cornice to entrance hall and some plain cornices to other rooms at ground floor. Ceilings coombed and plain corniced at first floor. Fireplace openings, some now boarded up, are predominantly intact. Most window shutters are intact. Panelled doors. Timber dog-leg principal stair with decorative twisted barley timber balustrade and timber handrail. Simple timber dog-leg stair to rear hall provides access to a two room flat in service wing.

The boundary walls are made of coursed whinstone rubble. The walls have gablet coping, and the ashlar gatepiers have gablet caps with trefoil motifs.

Statement of Interest

In accordance with Section 1 (4A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 the following is excluded from the listing: the circa 1900-1920 lean-to brick shed with corrugated iron roof, located to the exterior of southwest wall of service court.

The old rectory at Challoch, dating to 1874, is a good example of church manse which is largely unaltered and maintains a strong visual connection to the neighbouring A-listed church of similar date. The building retains much of its rural setting and forms a group with the church and churchyard, built in similar materials and contemporary in date.

The former rectory is located approximately 4 miles north of Newton Stewart in the hamlet of Challoch. It previously served as the residence for the rector at the adjacent All Saints Episcopal Church (see separate listing), which was constructed as a private chapel for Edward James Stopford-Blair of nearby Penninghame House, with the rectory constructed soon after.

Mid to late 19th century residences for clergy (especially after the Disruption of 1843) are an integral part of Scotland's ecclesiastical built heritage. While Episcopal churches are commonly found in Scotland, the relative number of churches of this denomination is smaller and Episcopalian rectories including listed examples are more unusual. There was a very small number of Episcopalians recorded in the parish of Penninghame at the time of the Second Statistical Account (1834-45) but it is notable that by the later 19th century the number had grown sufficiently to warrant a new church and rectory.

The southwest of Scotland has traditional associations with St Ninian who was responsible for establishing the early Christian church and is regarded as one of the founding saints of Scottish Episcopalism. Penninghame parish is known as the usual residence of the Bishops of Galloway, and therefore is strongly associated with the Episcopal Church in Scotland.

Category changed from B to C, statutory address and listed building record revised in 2016. Previously listed as 'Challoch, All Saints Church Manse with Retaining Walls and Gatepiers'.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata IDs Q17792247 Q56624049

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

• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)