Rhossili Old Rectory

Location

In an isolated position of great landscape impact facing Rhossili Bay, 1 km north of village; reached by footpath. House at corner of rubble-stone walled croft with stable block to south, outbuildings and old bakehouse ruin to east.

History

Rhossili Old Rectory and the Glebe occupy the terrace of land between the Down and the beach; the earlier Rhossili Church was in the same vicinity.
The Rectory site consists of a house of c.1850 in an older enclosure. Its predecessor was described as 'two rooms upon a floor and lofted through, a barn and three small outhouses under one and the same roof'. There are ruins of outbuildings (bakehouse?) to the east of the present house. The earlier house was declared uninhabitable by 1835, but was repaired and in the occupation of a farmer in c.1840. No house is indicated on the Tithe map of 1845, though the site is described as a parsonage.
The present house was built as a rectory at the end of the Rev John Lloyd's incumbency, at the start of that of his successor, the Rev J P Lucas. It was described in Mr Lucas's time (1855-98) as having two staircases, its drawing room to the left and dining room to the right, with a kitchen to the rear of the latter. A long narrow dairy ran full width at the rear. Remains of old farm buildings at rear were used as a wash-house and bakehouse. A coach-house and stable range to the south is probably earlier than the house, another detached outbuilding to the south east corner is contemporary or later.
The house is now holiday accommodation, recently modernised and rendered, and run by the National Trust.

Exterior

House of three windows and two storeys, facing west to Rhossili bay, located in an older rubble-walled homestead enclosure. Rendered and coloured off-white. Slate roof and tile ridge; end-chimney at left with brick capping and ceramic pot. Cast-iron rainwater goods. Low-pitch slate roof of lower height over rear range.
16-pane sash-windows above and below in graded sizes, with five-stone arches and stone sills. The upper windows a little smaller than the lower, and the centre window smaller than the flanking ones. Central door with narrow boarding.
Axe dressed masonry outbuildings to south and east, with slate roofs, tile ridges. Axe-dressed and rubble perimeter walls, partly collapsed.

Reason for designation

A well restored small mid-C19 parsonage with the outbuildings of a small homestead, in a very prominent landscape setting.