Building record 4268/0/18 - The Old Rectory, Braybrooke

Former Rectory, now a house. Early 18th century with late 18th century and mid 19th century additions.

{1} Former Rectory, now a house. Early C18 with late C18 and mid C19 additions. Squared ironstone and brick with limestone dressings and steep pitched Welsh slate roofs. Rubble plinth, rusticated quoins, coped gables with kneelers, moulded eaves, 2 coped triple gable stacks. 2 storeys, 5 bays. U-plan. Brick south front has a central gabled mid C19 Gothic porch with shafts and a half-glazed door, flanked by single canted bay windows each with 3 plain sashes. Above, 5 glazing bar sashes with keystoned lintels. Stone west wing, 2 storeys plus attics, has a near-central pedimented moulded doorcase with a 6-panel door, flanked to left by 2 and to right by a single glazing bar sash, all with segmental heads. To the right, a pilastered wooden doorcase with C19 half-glazed door and beyond, a small casement. Above, 2 glazing bar sashes with segmental heads. Above again, 4 flat-roofed dormers with 2-light casements. The interior has a central late C18 dogleg stair with winders and vase and stem balusters. South-east ground floor room has full height fielded panelling and a C19 marble fireplace flanked by fitted cupboards.

{3}Building recording of north wing of the Old Rectory: The north wing of the Old Rectory was likely to have been built in the latter 18th century as a small service wing. It was extended to double its size possibly in the early to mid 19th century, but was certainly well-established before pencil sketches and photographs were made in the 1850-70 period. There was no documentary evidence to suggest the external appearance of the southern façade at any date, other than Ordance Survey maps, which suggested that there had been a north-south building attached at the eastern side of the north wing from at least 1885. Similarly no indication of the internal arrangement of rooms or its former function were available.

The survey of the historic fabric showed that the first phase building had two ground floor windows and internal and external doorways, but lacked any fireplaces. The southern window was later blocked, possibly in response to the doubled window tax in the late 18th century. The second phase of the building was still probably related to its continued use as a service wing, possibly connected with laundering clothes and household linens - a large task for a large household. Little information about the use of the interior was available, but access to the upper floors must have been via internal stairways, and each of the two halves of the building was not accessible from the other. The eastern, newer build was equipped with fireplaces. The eastern rooms were also well lit with two windows in the eastern gable end of each storey.

The third phase represented a mid or late 19th century remodelling of the north wing. Two cottages or separate residences were created, with new upper floor doorways, and new ground floor windows. The need for steps implies that access was still not possible from the neighbouring wing, though why there were two sets of separate steps rather than a gallery is not clear. Cast-iron fireplaces, window frames, shutters and a cupboard have survived in various rooms to suggest that the rooms were of quite high status. The rooms comprised a kitchen and bedroom to the west, and parlour and bedroom to the east, suggestive of different status and usage between the two halves of the building. The alterations seem to be part of a wider restructuring of the Rectory, which also gained new windows and doorways indicative of internal changes, between c 1850 and 1870.

It cannot be ascertained for whom the residences were created, but possibilities might include visiting or lesser relations of the Vicar and his family, higher class charitable dependants, or higher status domestic staff.

The cottages continued in use into the mid 20th century, over which period the two rooms on each floor were interconnected, which suggests that a single family or group of people used or lived in the wing. Electricity and water was introduced to the building together with new doors and 20th century fittings such as shelves and coat hooks. In the 1960s the north-south range was removed. It is not known why the wing went out of use.

{4} The Rectory is an 18th century house which was substantially altered during the Victorian period. The main frontage of the house, which has two large bay windows and a gothic porch, is south facing. There is an additional range of stone construction (running north-south) attached to the rear of the main house. This has two large entrance doors, both of classical design, the reason for this is not currently clear.
The north wing of the building is of red brick construction; the change in brickwork on the north face indicates that the wing is of two distinct phases. The quality of the brickwork and the location of the building would appear to indicate that it was originally the service wing of the rectory. There are, however, some high quality 18th century fittings in the building including sash windows with shutters, skirting boards, fireplaces and panelled doors, these are mainly concentrated on the first floor. The ground floor of the building has a mixture of quality fittings (including an iron fireplace surround) and more utilitarian features (including a brick floor). On the first floor there are two south facing doors, which currently open out on to the courtyard, there is evidence in the brickwork of this face to indicate that there may have been an earlier corridor arrangement between the two doors. It is not possible to ascertain whether there have been any additional alterations to this face due to the dense plant growth on the building.

<1> Clews Architects, 1980s, Database for Listing of Historic Buildings of Special Architectural Interest: Northamptonshire, 2/4 (Digital archive). SNN102353.

<2> 1976, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest ("Greenback"), H13 (unchecked) (Catalogue). SNN100754.

<3> Thorne A.; McAree D., 2004, Desk-Based Assessment, Building Recording and Watching Brief at the Old Rectory, Braybrooke, Northants, P. 15 (Report). SNN104634.

<4> Ballinger J., 2001, North Wing, Braybrook Old Rectory, (checked) (Notes). SNN101295.

<5> Ballinger J., 2001, North Wing, Braybrook Old Rectory, (checked) (Photographic prints (COL)). SNN101296.

<6> Ellison M., 2001, Old Rectory, Braybrooke, (unchecked) (Slides). SNN101402.

<7> 1767, Braybrooke Estate Map, 1767, (unchecked) (Map). SNN102453.

Record last edited

Jan 10 2020 1:44PM