The Old Rectory, Croscombe

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The Old Rectory
Somerset UK location map.svg
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Location of The Old Rectory in Somerset
Location Croscombe, Somerset, England
Coordinates 51°11′46″N2°35′09″W / 51.19611°N 2.58583°W / 51.19611; -2.58583 Coordinates: 51°11′46″N2°35′09″W / 51.19611°N 2.58583°W / 51.19611; -2.58583
Built17th century
Listed Building – Grade II
Designated17 October 1985 [1]
Reference no.1058829

The Old Rectory in the village of Croscombe within the English county of Somerset was built in the 17th century and rebuilt in the 18th. It is a Grade II listed building. [1]

The two storey house has a slate roof. The door has a triglyph frieze with a paterae and cornice on twin Tuscan pilasters. [1] It has four bedrooms and three bathrooms. [2] It is surrounded by gardens separated from the road by walls. [3]

The house was sold for £755,000 in 2007, [4] [5] when it was seen as being "unsuitable for the clergy". [6]

In 2014 it was announced by the Church Commissioners that the house would be purchased, for £900,000 as a residence for Peter Hancock the incoming Bishop of Bath and Wells as an alternative to living at the traditional Bishop's Palace in Wells, to provide him with more privacy. [7] The controversial decision was opposed by local clergy and residents, [8] who criticised the lack of consultation. [3] The decision was later reversed after a committee appointed by the Archbishops' Council ruled that the Bishop should continue to live at the Palace in Wells. [9]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Historic England. "Parsonage House (1058829)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 5 April 2015.
  2. "Senior West clerics criticise Bishop's new £900k mansion". Western Morning News. 26 January 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  3. 1 2 Bingham, John (26 January 2014). "Palace coup: Church in open rebellion over decision to downsize bishop to country pile". The Telegraph. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
  4. "The Old Rectory, Wells, Mendip, Somerset, BA5 3QN". Land Registry. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  5. "Property details for The Old Rectory, Croscombe, Wells BA5 3QN". Zoopla. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  6. Gledhill, Ruth. "Church buys back rectory after Bishop's Palace is declared unfit".
  7. "Bishop of Bath and Wells to swap Wells palace for Georgian rectory in Croscombe". Western Daily Press. 24 January 2014. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  8. "Decision to move Somerset's bishops out of historic home is a "public relations disaster"". Western Gazette. 27 January 2014. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  9. "Determination of objection to regulation transaction: House of Residence of Bishop of Bath and Wells" (PDF). Archbishops' Council. 1 May 2014.