Old Rectory

Cadw's description

Location

Located immediately N of the church in Darowen village.

History

There is said to have been a house on the site since 1545. An inscribed stone near the entrance reads 'MR 1820', suggesting that the house was rebuilt at this time; the initials are said to relate to Maer Roberts. It is recorded in the Tithe apportionment of 1846 as house and garden on glebeland. A porch to the rear is dated 1850 and the house was probably remodelled then. It was a rectory until 1952-3.

Exterior

Two-storey former rectory, with main range orientated E-W and short rear range at right angles to N. Constructed of random slate, formerly whitewashed, under a slate roof with gables and plain barge boards; stone ridge stack to main range, stone end stack to N range. Small single-storey service range adjoining W side, whitewashed and with a large stone end stack. Entrance front of house to E and garden front to S, the openings to both sides with square slate hoodmoulds, and with 12-pane hornless sash windows. The gabled entrance front has a doorway offset to R containing a C20 panelled door under a large overlight with margin glazing; sash window above. Inscribed datestone to lower R. The rear range is continuous to the R with a sash window to each storey underneath a gablet. Two-window garden front, the tall ground floor windows with blockings beneath, for full-height and/or earlier windows. Gablets to upper storey windows; small lights to cellar. The W gable end is mainly slate-hung and has a small late C20 window offset to L of upper storey. The W side of the N range is continuous with the main range and is partly rendered. The N gable end of the N range has a 3-light C20 window to ground floor, and a 12-pane hornless sash with slate lintel above. Adjoining the W side of the house is the low service range which has a small C20 window to gable end, inserted into the fireplace. The N and S sides each have a C20 window. In the angle of the service range and N range is a gabled porch, with C20 wooden door to N; attached to the W gable is a slate tablet inscribed in Latin and bearing a date of 1850.

Interior

Stair-hall inside front entrance with wooden staircase to R, curved towards base. It has plain narrow balusters with moulded wreathed handrail and decorated tread ends. Four rooms lead off from the hall, dining room to SE, living room to SW, kitchen to NW and study to NE. The interior is partly modernised but retains panelled doors and dado rails to the principle rooms. Beyond the kitchen is the service range: the fireplace has a large cambered timber lintel, although the fireplace has been removed and replaced by a window; a bakeoven with cast iron door is retained to the L-hand side.

Reason for designation

Listed for its special interest as an early C19 rectory retaining its character.