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Summary

Heron Court formerly the Rectory a 16th century building with later additions and alterations to the southeast of St Peter's parish church in Zeal Monachorum

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1013724: Churchyard cross socket stone 10m south west of Zeal Monachorum church porch
• Listed Building (II*) 1106540: HERON COURT INCUDING OUTBUILDINGS ADJOINING TO WEST AND COB GARDEN WALLS ADJOINING TO NORTH

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS70SW/62
• Old Listed Building Ref (II*)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• VICARAGE (XVI to XXI - 1501 AD to 2009 AD (Between))

Full description

NMR, SS70SW21 (National Monuments Record Database). SDV338933.

At SS72010399. Heron Court. Former rectory. Mid 16th century, rearranged or partly rebuilt early 18th century. Refurbished with service extension circa 1830-40. Includes outbuilding adjoining to west and cob garden walls adjoining to the north (citing DoE).

Ordnance Survey, 1906, 54SW (Cartographic). SDV335812.

'Rectory' shown on early 20th century map as an irregular shaped building to the southeast of St Peter's parish church in Zeal Monachorum.

Ordnance Survey, 1973, SS70SW (Cartographic). SDV338932.

Building shown but not marked on 1973 map.

Department of Environment, 1986, Zeal Monachorum, 67-8 (List of Blds of Arch or Historic Interest). SDV43775.

Heron Court including outbuildings adjoining to west and cob garden walls adjoining to north. Plastered cob on rubble footings; stone rubble stacks topped with 20th century brick; slate roofs. The house faces south with a rather rambling plan which has developed over 4 centuries. The main block dates from the mid 16th century and comprises 2 rooms separated by a through passage. The left (western) end room was built as a fine parlour but was later converted to a kitchen and apparently its original rear lateral fireplace has been replaced by the present projecting end stack. The unheated right room was converted to the stair hall in the early 18th century. At the same time a 2 room crosswing was built on the right end projecting forward and rear and containing the principal rooms. The front room has an outer lateral stack and the rear room has an end stack. Circa 1830-40 this rear room was subdivided to include a small study and enlarged with a round-ended extension on the outer side. On the left end, on the same axis as the main block but set back from the front and overlapping a little to rear is a service wing containing the present kitchen and a garage and workshop (formerly stables and coach house). Main house is 2 storeys with attics in roof space and rear room of crosswing has a cellar under. Main house has nearly symmetrical 3-window front. The front passage doorway is a little right of centre and contains a 19th century 6-panel door with contemporary 2-light overlight containing tiny panes of leaded glass and simple flat-roofed porch with slender turned timber posts and a minimally-moulded (possibly replacement) entablature. It is flanked by 19th century sashes, 12 panes to right and 16 panes to left. The first floor has contemporary 2-light casements with glazing bars although left one replaced by 20th century iron-framed casement. The front end of the crosswing has an early 19th century tripartite sash with central 12-pane sash on each floor and a 20th century replacement dormer to the attic. The eaves along the whole front are carried on wide-spaced shaped brackets and the early 19th century cast iron gutter has lion's head masks over the joints. The main block roof is gable-ended. The crosswing is taller and its steeply-pitched roof is hipped each end. The outer side is blind except for the early 19th century round-ended projection which contains a ground floor 24-pane (12/12) sash and first floor 12-pane sash. Its roof has a rounded hip and the slates here are coated. The rear end has a 12-pane sash on each floor, both on the right side, and an early 19th century dormer to the attic. The rear of the main block has a 19th cnetury 4-panel door to the through passage with a 20th century casement above and, to left, a large oak early 18th century mullion-and-upper-transom stair window; flat faced mullion and transom with internal shallow ogee mould and containing rectangular panes of leaded glass. The low service block to left of the front has a 1-window front of late 19th century casements with glazing bars and a contemporary part-glazed 3-panel door to the present kitchen. the roof steps down to left over the single storey garage (with 20th century double garage doors) and workshop (with 20th century fixed pane window). It is gable-ended. Good interior showing high quality work from the 3 main building phases. The former parlour (left room of main block) has a mid 16th century richly moulded axial beam and similar half-beams against the walls as a cornice. Below the beams against the passage crosswall is another similarly-moulded beam with broad step stops which appears to be the headbeam of the original partition there. The fireplace however is 18th or 19th century; it is granite with a roughly-finished square-cornered lintel and includes a 19th century brick-lined oven. The rear part of the through passage is stone-flagged. The main stair is a large and high quality open well stair with closed string, square-section newel posts, moulded pine flat handrail with swan's neck ramps, and richly-turned oak balusters including blocks. The upper flight is supported on a large turned softwood post. This stair must be associated with the early 18th century refurbishment even though some of its features look more mid 18th century in style. The front room of the crosswing is lined with early 18th century oak bolection panelling in 2 heights with box cornice. The bolection chimney piece is unusual having plain blocks either side interrupting the moulding. The fireplace has a curving pentan. The rear room and study have early 19th century joinery detail and the main room has a contemporary chimneypiece and moulded plaster cornice. The front windows of the wing and stairhall have early 19th century fielded panel shutters. Most of the other joinery detail is early 18th century; most of the doors are 2-panel and some have fielded panels. The main block roof is mid 16th century. It is 4 bays and the central truss was originally closed with large framing. The lower parts of the principals are either hidden or cut off. The open trusses have cambered collars and chamfered arch-bracing, and take 3 sets of chamfered butt purlins. The left 2 bays (over the former parlour) have 2 sets of windbraces, the upper pair inverted. The other 2 bays have only single sets of windbraces. The crosswing has an early 18th century roof of A-frame trusses with pegged lap-jointed collars. The garage and workshop roof is a 20th century replacement. From the rear of the crosswing and the service wing high plastered cob and rubble walls with pantile coping extend northwards to adjoin the churchyard wall and enclose a rear garden. Heron Court is an interesting and attractive house containing high quality work from the mid 16th, early 18th and mid 19th centuries. Very little has been done since.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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