The Abbey Sutton Courtenay, England

Text courtesy of Historic England. © Crown Copyright, reprinted under the Open Government License.

SUTTON COURTENAY CHURCH STREET SU5094, SU5093 (East side) 7/93, 9/93. The Abbey 06/08/52 (Formerly listed as Nos.2 (The Abbey)) GV I

Rectory house, now religious education centre. Hall and solar range of c.1320; rear range probably Cl6; south range probably early C17; with later alterations. Stone uncoursed rubble plinth, with some brick; render, probably one stone uncoursed rubble, with ashlar stone dressings; old plain-tile complex roof; various brick stacks. Double-ended hall house plan with later additions forming courtyard to rear. Garden front: 3-bay hall to centre with 2-storey, cross-wings. C19 ribbed door to 2-centre arched doorway to right of hall range. C19 three-light stone mullion windows to left and centre of hall range. 3-lioht stone mullion windows to ground floor of cross wings, having cusped lights. 2-light stone mullion and transom windows with reticulated tracery heads to first floor of cross-wings. Battlemented parapet to hall range. C19 bargeboards to gable ends of cross-wings. Left return, to north: 2 storeys and attic; 6-window range. Plank door to centre with re-cut stone surround with shallow segmental arch. Stone mullion and transom windows to right of centre and to right, with cusped upper lights, having 2-light stone mullion window between with cusped lights and hood mould. Stone 2-light mullion and transom window to first floor right with ogee-topped lights. Wood tracery casements to rest of fenestration, some to original openings with hood-moulds. Rear, to east: stone coursed rubble to ground floor left and right; render probably on timber-framing to ground floor centre and to first floor. 2-storey, 5-window central range; double-height end to left; 2 storeys and attic cross-wing to right. 2-centred archway to ground floor centre, to passage to courtyard. Irregular fenestration of casements, except lancet to ground floor right of centre, and casement to first floor centre with arch-topped light. First floor of central range is jettied. Right return: roughcast, probably on stone rubble to left; roughcast, probably on timber framing, to service rante to centre and right. Irregular fenestration of casements, those to the service range have early C19 Tudor-style wood casements with cusped or 2-centred lights. Rear of hall range, to courtyard; C14 two-centred stone doorway with hood mould to left, having C19 glazed door. C19 stone mullion windows. Courtyard face of rear range: brick plinth; render to ground floor, probably on timber-framing; large timber-framing with tension braces to first floor centre, close-studded timber-framing to first floor left, having roughcast infill. Interior: various C18 winder staircases, some with panelled dadoes. Hall of 2 and a half bays has moulded jointed base-cruck roof with crown-posts above; C19 dado panelling and fireplace. Ground floor of north range has unmoulded cross-beams and joists, except for room at end of hall, which has moulded cross beams. North range roof has 3 bays of crown-post roof with octagonal posts, having damaged mouldings to top, bases not visible. Butt-purlin roof to eastern part of north range. 2-centred stone doorway at head of staircase at first floor of north range, possibly former door to solar. Most fireplace surrounds are C19 and C20, probably blocking original open fireplaces, Queen post roof, to south range and to rear range. History: probably built by William le Breton. Ceiling of Solar attributed to Thomas Bekynton, rector of Sutton until 1443, tutor to Henry VI and Bishop of Bath and Wells. (Buildings of England: Berkshire: 1975, p236-7; Victoria County History: VCH: Berkshire; Vol 4)

Listing NGR: SU5026994000