The Old Rectory (EHER 38396)

A timber framed and rendered house, originally a rectory, built in 1763 and earlier, which is indicated by reused 16th century timber on the ground floor. It has plain tile roofs. The building is two storeys with attics and on an 'L-plan'. Many of the exterior and interior features survive from the 18th century house and later additions, though it is no longer the rectory. The location of the rectory at the extremity of the parish suggests that it may have been built there to enable the rector to serve more than one parish.

September 1971. Grade II listed. A timber framed and rendered house built in 1763 and earlier. It has plain tile roofs. The building is two storeys with attics and on an 'L-plan'. The front has two-storey canted bay window to each end. There is a central pedimented porch with Tuscan columns, Tuscan respond pilasters and white boarded infilling to flanks with hexagonal subdivided windows. There is a parallel rear range with a hipped tile gambrel roof. The rear of the western wing is extremely complex with four lean-to structures, one jettied out from the first floor and two built of red brick. Internally the east wing shows remnants of timber-framing including a moulded spine beam. The west wing has enclosed remnants of pargeted gable with date of 1763; a first floor room has a bolection-moulded fireplace with a mantel shelf; and the fireplace on the ground floor has reused moulded floor joists from around 1500, reused as jambs. <1> See photos <2>. The Parsonage was located at the far eastern boundary of the parish, today it is included within Heybridge parish, along the Maldon Road. Parts of the house are dated to 1763 though the fireplace on ground floor has reused timber, suggesting that parts of it may have an earlier origin. There is a list of rectors of the parish from 1558 (D/P 356/1/1). There is a Langford Parsonage depicted on the Chapman and Andre map of 1777. Many of the exterior and interior features survive from the 18th century house and later additions. It is no longer the parsonage. The location of the parsonage at the extremity of the parish suggests that it may have been built there to enable the rector to serve more than one parish. <3>