Five heavenly rectories for sale across Britain
Few modern day clergymen live in splendour — but their forebears enjoyed some of the finest homes in Britain. Julie Harding picks out some sumptuous old rectories for sale.
East Sussex — £1,500,000
The Grade II*-listed Hailsham Grange, built in 1709 when Queen Anne was on the throne, acted as a vicarage for the neighbouring church, but, today, it is a luxury family home with seven bedrooms, four reception rooms and period features. The light-filled entrance hall with its black-and-white tiled flooring provides a spectacular introduction to this home, whether that is for the potential new owners as they first step through the door or for their visitors, who will no doubt arrive in droves.
They will find comfort and cosiness if the weather is inclement, for the dining room, drawing room and snug have open fireplaces, the latter also boasting panelled walls. The large bay window in the kitchen/breakfast room incorporates French doors that lead to the rear garden.
In fact, Hailsham Grange is set in half an acre, which includes lawns, well-stocked flowerbeds, low-level topiary, mature hedging and trees. Its setting — the town of Hailsham — offers everything a resident could wish for, including shops, schools, cafés and bars.
For sale via Strutt & Parker — see more details and pictures.
Monmouthshire — £1.15 million
‘The Old Vicarage is one of a kind,’ says agent Richard Kerpner, introducing this distinctive 1862 property in Caldicot, close to the church of St Mary’s, during his video tour. As the camera pans, the property’s ecclesiastical links can be seen immediately, not least in the archways within (in fact, the far end of the ground floor was once a private chapel) and in the Gothic arch windows throughout.
Commissioned by the Revd Edmund Turberville Williams, The Old Vicarage was designed by architect Henry Woodyer, whose CV is lengthy and includes the creation of Cranleigh School in Surrey and alterations to Tyntesfield in Somerset.
The house is vast, covering 4,505sq ft, and five bedrooms can be found on the first floor, with four reception rooms on the ground floor. Ceilings soar in this house; there are two stairways, including one contained in a turret; and there is a large cellar, too. Nothing about The Old Vicarage is ordinary.
For sale via Fine & Country — see more details and pictures.
Isle of Wight — £1.05 million
The Old Rectory in Brighstone, Isle of Wight, has had a colourful past and more than one high-profile incumbent. Previous residents of this attached Grade II-listed property include William Fox, curate and enthusiastic fossil hunter whose finds ended up in the British Museum. Bishop Ken, the first rector of Brighstone, was another resident, but at this point he hadn’t refused to swear fealty to Charles II and nor had he spent time in the Tower of London. William Wilberforce’s son Samuel, also a Brighstone rector, later became Bishop of Oxford and of Winchester.
Any buyer will, therefore, have plenty of material for after-dinner conversations with guests in their new home, which has six bedrooms and five reception rooms, as well as a self-contained apartment on the second floor. The gardens consist of lawns surrounded by well-stocked borders and mature trees. Newport is a 10-minute drive away, and footpaths lead to the nearby coast and beaches.
For sale via Spence Willard — see more details and pictures.
Hampshire — £3.15 million
The Old Rectory, built in the hamlet of Hartley Wespall in the early-Victorian period, hasn’t come to the market in more than 50 years, so interested parties will find a home that has been at the centre of family life, playing host to myriad Christmas parties, birthday celebrations and all manner of other gatherings, for half a century. They will also find that many of the original period features have been retained, including the servants’ bells and original fireplaces in many rooms.
There are eight bedrooms in total, set over two floors, plus four spacious reception rooms, a cellar, and, outside, an outbuilding and about three acres of grounds, including a walled garden and an orchard. For some R&R or fun during gatherings, the swimming pool will certainly come in handy.
For sale via Knight Frank — see more details and pictures.
Co Durham — £1.5 million
Gothic Revival architect Samuel Sanders Teulon had a significant hand in the appearance of The Old Vicarage in Hunstanworth. In the mid 19th century, he took the earlier vicarage, retained its historic core and extended the house, giving it striking gables, steep slate roofs and stone mullioned windows. Prospective purchasers visiting for the first time will be able to take in all of these elements as they enter via the sweeping gravel driveway and head to the stone-arched entrance porch.
Inside, they will find four reception rooms, including a dual-aspect drawing room with a bay window and tall sash windows with working shutters that offer glorious views over the garden. Five bedrooms are arranged over two floors, and they, too, overlook the about 2¾ acres, that include lawns, specimen trees, stone walls and hedging. Characterful both inside and out, the original pig sty with stone feeder and an owlery is further evidence of The Old Vicarage’s past.
