Building record 1623/10/2 - Former Brew House, The Old Vicarage

Former brew house probably built at the same date as The Old Vicarage, in the early 19th century. The brew house was ruinous prior to restoration and virtually no evidence survived of its original function.

{1} Archaeological building recording was undertaken prior to the restoration and conversion of the building into holiday lets. The Brew House measures 4.3 x 10.05m externally, aligned NW-SE, rising c.4.2m to eaves height and c.5.5m to the ridge (heights measured from the floor of Room G1). The east wall of the building forms part of the boundary wall of the churchyard: there are indications that its height was raised and the rest of the structure was added to it. This is most apparent at the north-east corner. Similarly, the lower part of the west elevation is butted to the south wall, suggesting that it is a later insertion, and the building was originally at least partly open-fronted to the west. Unfortunately, the partly overgrown state of the structure prevented detailed examination of all the wall relationships. From historic photographs, it is apparent that the upper part of the west elevation was weatherboarded, presumably over timber framing. The dominant feature of this elevation is the external stone stair providing access to the upper floor. On the north elevation, a line of brickwork rising up the wall marks the former location of a brick chimney stack, corbelled out from the wall c.1.5m above external ground level. A second chimney stack is shown to have been located above the east corner of the building. Though none of the roof survives, the shallow pitch of the gables indicates that it was most likely slate: the small size of the building suggests that it was probably a common rafter roof.

<1> Zeepvat, B, 2019, Historic Building Recording: Outbuildings at the Old Vicarage, 14 Church Street, Brixworth (Report). SNN111976.

<2> Crank, N. (Editor), 2020, South Midlands Archaeology (50), p. 77-8 (Journal). SNN112426.

Record last edited

May 11 2025 3:38PM