The Old Rectory (At North End of Village, to West of Church)

Details

TL 22 NE WALKERN HIGH STREET (east side)

1/1 The Old Rectory (at N end of village, 24.11.66 to W of church) (formerly listed as Walkern Old Rectory)

GV II*

Rectory, now a private house. Circa 1632 for rector Dr John Gorsuch (1600-48), E front early C18, library wing c1781 for Benjamin Heath, roof early C19, altered c1933 (rwp), sold c1937. Red brick, colourwashed roughcast at front with stucco quoins, and steep slated hipped roof. A square, 3-storeys and cellars, early brick rectory, facing W, described in terrier of 1638 as having: 'below, one parlour, a hall, a kitchen, a milk house, a brew house, a store house, two cellars; above, in the first and second storeys, nine chambers well boarded. Unusual plan- form with thick E-W diaphram wall dividing ground plan into 2 equal rectangles. N part had a broad passage against the middle wall and kitchen, lobby with secondary stair, and brewhouse etc from E to W on its N side. Full width of S part occupied by hall, main stair, and parlour from W to E. 2 external chimneys on each side wall of house. Plan form and window central to each half on 2nd floor points to original 2nd floor chambers being partly in the roofspace of 2 parallel pitched roofs, with windows in the E and W gables rising above the stepped brick band still remaining on W. W front 4 windows wide 3-storeys centre with plinth, plat-bond, brick corbelled bank at 2nd floor level and overhanging eaves with paried brackets to soffit. Lower red brick wings steep red tiled roofs and former library of cl781 to right with large Venetian window at S end, and 2 storeys, 5 windows, kitchen and service range to left with bell turret on roof. Recessed sash windows with 6/6 panes (3/3 panes to 3 windows on 2nd floor). Wooden Doric C18 doorcase to 6-panel fielded door and semi-circular fanlight with radial scalloped pattern and wheat-husk trails. Open pediment on columns, with paterae and flunting on soffits of cornices. E front to garden refronted in C18 with 2 2-storeys canted bay windows, in sandy red brick with black headers and pilaster at SE return. Sash windows with 6/6 panes. C18 Venetian window to staircase in middle of S wall. Early Cl7 closed-string secondary stair with newels and table-leg turned balusters rises from ground floor to attic. Fine early C18 closed-string main stair with turned balusters, ramped handrail, panelled newels, and corresponding panelled dado. 6-panel moulded doors with ovolo architraves. Stair window, and reset window on N end, both have heavy ovolo- moulded glazing bars. C18 fire surrounds with marble slips on ground floor. An old red brick wall runs E from N end of service wing, formerly enclosing a stable court. (Pevsner (1977) 373: M Overman A Gorsuch Pedigree 1982 Walkern, priv, print).

Listing NGR: TL2917226729

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

159675

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Overman, M, A Gorsuch Pedigree, (1982)
Pevsner, N, Cherry, B, The Buildings of England: Hertfordshire, (1977), 373

End of official list entry

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