MSO10632 - The Old Rectory, Wootton Courtenay (Building)

Rectory, now private dwelling. C16 in origin, subsequently much altered, refenestrated and internally altered early C19, enlarged mid-late C19, part of C16 wing demolished late C20. Red sandstone random rubble, part roughcast on south front, slate roofs, hipped and gabled, tall lateral stack rising on north front, other stone and rendered stacks. Plan: not clear without internal inspection, roughly truncated L-plan of C16 dwelling with H-plan addition on east front. South front: 2 storeys, 3:1:1:1 bays, gabled cross wings to first and third bays right, first floor left 12 pane sash window, two 16 pane sash windows, 20 pane windows in cross wings flanking 12-pane window, ground floor 8-pane sash window, canted bay with marginal glazing bars, entrance, 12 and 20-pane sash windows flanking single storey early C20 glazed loggia infill; open pediment doorcase, panelled reveals, Adam style fanlight, inserted lights in 6-panel door. Rear elevation, 2 moulded beams from demolished cross wing reset in porch. Interior: partially sighted. Stick stair with cut string and mahogany handrail. Roof said to contain 4 collar beam trusses, arch braced with chamfered purlins and windbraces, and another pair of C16 trusses to main block. Various walls abutting the property to the south east and north west are remains of demolished buildings. A terrier of 1614 describes a large dwelling, probably with 2 detached kitchens, and extensive land. (VAG Report, unpublished SRO, August 1979). [1,12] English Heritage Listed Building Number: 265407. First Listed on 05/06/1985. [2] Stone, Random rubble, Render, roughcast and pebbledash walls. Collar beam, Hipped, Gabled roof [3] The building was visited in May 2012 as part of the rapid condition survey of Exmoor's Listed Buildings 2012-13. It received a BAR score of 6. [4] The Old Rectory outwardly appears to be early to mid 19th Century in date but has 16th Century origins. The roof timbers consist of collar beam trusses with arched braces and chamfered purlins with windbraces. Part of a 16th Century east wing was demolished in the 20th Century. It is built of red sandstone, and part roughcast rendered with slate roofs and some slate hung frontage detail. It has several tall stone and rendered stacks, including a prominent lateral one on the north frontage. [5] The 2018 Conservation Area Appraisal contains a similar description to that written in 2003 [5]. [6] The living was a rectory in the deanery of Dunster, valued at seven marks, three shillings and four pence in 1292. It was appropriated to the alien priory of Stoke-Courcy, and as parcel of its prossessions was granted to Eton College in 1442. In 1830, Savage writes that Wootton Courtenay has "a very good parsonage house, and more than one hundred acres of glebe land," valuing the living at £400 annually. [7] Further reference, including historic photographs. [8] The building is shown on 2020 MasterMap data and labelled The Old Rectory. [9] A file was collated by the RCHME on the property. [10,12] This record was enhanced as part of the National Record of the Historic Environment to Exmoor National Park Historic Environment Record data transfer project. [11] The building was assessed as part of the 2018-19 rapid condition survey of Exmoor’s Listed Buildings, receiving a BAR score of 6. [12]