Old Vicarage, with attached outbuildings at W end

Cadw's description

Location

Situated approximately 100m NW of the Church of St Bridget, on the N side of the lane running westwards out of Skenfrith village.

Exterior

A modest, rubble-built house of simple Georgian character (apparently recently restored) with a large but lower outbuilding (perhaps formerly a stable) attached to the left gable. Both parts are of roughly-coursed sandstone rubble, the roof of the house of blue and purple slates and that of the outbuilding graduated grey slates, and both have brick chimneys. Linear plan on E-W axis, facing south, the outbuilding forming the west half and projecting slightly, and the house single-depth with a gabled staircase wing to the rear and a lean-to addition in the E angle of that. The house has a symmetrical 2-storey, 3-window facade in which the only decorative feature is a deep moulded wooden eaves cornice with diamond-shaped dentillation. The doorway in the centre is an unadorned square-headed opening with a recessed panelled door and overlight, and the windows are 12-pane sashes with raised sills and red brick reveals. Both gable chimneys have corbelled-out cornices, that to the left apparently rebuilt. The outbuilding has a doorway offset slightly to the left with a wooden lintel and a board door, a small square loft window above it and slightly to the right, with plain glazing, a 2-light casement close to the right-hand corner with a wooden lintel, and a very tall front-wall brick chimney between the latter two openings. [A wooden lean-to garage is attached to the left gable.]

Interior

The interior plan and details resemble Mill House (q.v.): the entrance hall leads through to the staircase wing, and there is one room on each side of it. Both floors have ceiling beams of relatively light scantling, including a secondary beam with cyma-stopped chamfer in the E room at ground floor. The W room has a fireplace on the W wall approximately 1.5m wide and 1.25m high, with rubble jambs and a cambered oak lintel. The rear staircase wing contains a dog-legged staircase with closed string, square newels, bar balusters and a lightly-moulded handrail, and the roof has two collar trusses.

Reason for designation

Included as a well-preserved modest Georgian house, contributing to the character of the village at its NW corner.