We've Bought an Historical Old Vicarage!

[yssie]

Thank you! I haven’t taken any pictures of the gardens yet, but will try to remember when we are over tomorrow, along with the hand water pump in the courtyard. Hopefully it will stay dry - the weather here is literally ALL over the place at the mo. Last week was nudging 21deg Celsius all week & yesterday it snowed & was -1 overnight

Oooooh. The manor in the snow. That will be fit for a postcard

 

[Ally T]

We had a long old 3 hour consultation with the Architect at the property today. Lots of amazing ideas discussed & a topography survey has been arranged for the whole of the property, inside & out. Obviously at this stage only the inside is relevant, but the landscapers will be very glad of it when they start. Here are some more pictures!

This is the rusty water hand pump & Belfast sink outside in the courtyard off the kitchen. This was the original water source to the house & was WAY more fancy than the 'older' properties in the village, which still have preserved old water wells in their gardens on proud display.



This is the old trunk in one of the attic storage rooms. We noticed today a full address painted on the back, so we will certainly able to try & trace his family:

 

[Ally T]

Here are some pictures from the hideously old, yellowing & falling apart Bible. Written by beautiful hand inside the first few blank pages, are records of many baptisms in the parish. These all seem to belong to the Houghton family, who's name is taped inside the cover.

 

[icy_jade]

@Ally T such an amazing adventure and thank you for bringing us along.

 

[RMOO]

I am sooo curious why the trunk and the bible with all the baptismal records didn't make their return to their respective families when the vicarage closed. We (you) may never know. If you can't find the families, I wonder if a historical library or museum might be interested. There is so much information in that bible!

And I may have a quirky sense of garden design, but I immediately thought how wonderful a water feature that sink and pump would make, if you could get the hose of a fountain pump up and our through the spout.

 

[Ally T]

I am sooo curious why the trunk and the bible with all the baptismal records didn't make their return to their respective families when the vicarage closed. We (you) may never know. If you can't find the families, I wonder if a historical library or museum might be interested. There is so much information in that bible!

And I may have a quirky sense of garden design, but I immediately thought how wonderful a water feature that sink and pump would make, if you could get the hose of a fountain pump up and our through the spout.

When we first viewed back in October, the Diocese were in the process of emptying it out & there were heaps of things still there. Bedroom 6 was an office room, stuffed to the rafters with shelves & old fashioned filing systems full of information & paperwork. Once the things deemed important or confidential were removed, everything else was considered not relevant, too old or unimportant to the Church. I can only imagine the trunk has arrived at some point with a non clergy visitor & the Houghton Bible is so old that the family are perhaps no longer in the area etc? There is a Caretaker looking after the house currently, who lives in the Sexton's Cottage across the green. We met him today & he apologised that he hadn't as yet been able to remove some of the larger desks etc. We told him it was fine & to leave whatever is still there for us to deal with i.e. do not remove them & throw them away!!

I will definitely be using the water pump somehow. It maybe interesting, but I'll be using it!

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

We had a long old 3 hour consultation with the Architect at the property today. Lots of amazing ideas discussed & a topography survey has been arranged for the whole of the property, inside & out. Obviously at this stage only the inside is relevant, but the landscapers will be very glad of it when they start. Here are some more pictures!

This is the rusty water hand pump & Belfast sink outside in the courtyard off the kitchen. This was the original water source to the house & was WAY more fancy than the 'older' properties in the village, which still have preserved old water wells in their gardens on proud display.



This is the old trunk in one of the attic storage rooms. We noticed today a full address painted on the back, so we will certainly able to try & trace his family:

I love the pump (pump was my first word)
But i also do like the idea of a gardener's loo
Having somewhere to wash up rather than bring all the muck into the house

an orangry - had never heard of one till escape to the chatau - how wonderful

The little girl inside of me whats that small attaic room as my bedroom

i look forward to after pictutes because all the talk of measurement in feet just flew over my head

 

[Gussie]

I love Grantchester! If your village is similar... oh, heavenly! This is going to be a fantastic project!

 

[yssie]

When we first viewed back in October, the Diocese were in the process of emptying it out & there were heaps of things still there. Bedroom 6 was an office room, stuffed to the rafters with shelves & old fashioned filing systems full of information & paperwork. Once the things deemed important or confidential were removed, everything else was considered not relevant, too old or unimportant to the Church. I can only imagine the trunk has arrived at some point with a non clergy visitor & the Houghton Bible is so old that the family are perhaps no longer in the area etc? There is a Caretaker looking after the house currently, who lives in the Sexton's Cottage across the green. We met him today & he apologised that he hadn't as yet been able to remove some of the larger desks etc. We told him it was fine & to leave whatever is still there for us to deal with i.e. do not remove them & throw them away!!

I will definitely be using the water pump somehow. It maybe interesting, but I'll be using it!

Will you keep the caretaker on once you’re moved in? Has he been at the house for a long time? I wonder if he has some stories to tell about the place

 

[MamaBee]

I love Grantchester! If your village is similar... oh, heavenly! This is going to be a fantastic project!

We’re watching it now!!

 

[Ally T]

Will you keep the caretaker on once you’re moved in? Has he been at the house for a long time? I wonder if he has some stories to tell about the place

He's been the Caretaker for 32 years & has lived in the village all his life. I would say he was mid 50's? He told us he knew all the history & would like to spend time when we move in sharing that information & old photos, which is exciting! He's paid by the Diocese & looks after the Church & grounds too, but he obviously has day job because both of his children go to one of the private schools near to here. We looked at that school for our girls & it costs £24k per child per year, and there's no way he'd get even HALF of one child's school fees for being a Caretaker for the Diocese!

We will have no need to keep him on. Once it's renovated then maintenence will be just ongoing as with any home. We will need a gardener, but he doesn't do that even now - a gardening company is employed. He's sort of there for security, to check things don't leak, to fix things, to go over church pews & floors regularly to ensure they're solid & safe, like a handyman etc. He had the biggest beard & looked like he'd lived in the wilderness for many years!

 

[MillieLou]

How amazing would it be to get the water pump and Belfast sink restored and use them as a centrepiece for your new kitchen? Just saying...

 

[Ally T]

How amazing would it be to get the water pump and Belfast sink restored and use them as a centrepiece for your new kitchen? Just saying...

There are several Belfast sinks, including 2 huge ones in the garden just discarded as junk by the outbuilding (but un-chipped & immaculate) so I will definitely be putting one in the new kitchen & one in the utility room. The one in the courtyard with the pump is pretty damaged, sadly. And er...... pumping water out of that thing to fill my kettle??

 

[MillieLou]

I meant more as a decorative centrepiece, but now you mention it, yeah go on I dare you

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

How amazing would it be to get the water pump and Belfast sink restored and use them as a centrepiece for your new kitchen? Just saying...

I think this too

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

There are several Belfast sinks, including 2 huge ones in the garden just discarded as junk by the outbuilding (but un-chipped & immaculate) so I will definitely be putting one in the new kitchen & one in the utility room. The one in the courtyard with the pump is pretty damaged, sadly. And er...... pumping water out of that thing to fill my kettle??

Does the house still have its own water supply?
A well ?
Is it drinkable ?
I had a friend who lived way out in the country in a company house
Her man was a truck driver who spread fertilizer on paddocks
Their kitchen sink had a mysterious 3rd tap - i was the only one game enough to drink out of it

 

[yssie]

And er...... pumping water out of that thing to fill my kettle??

I meant more as a decorative centrepiece, but now you mention it, yeah go on I dare you

No no no don’t!! We need you to finish this reno before you start sprouting additional limbs!!

 

[Ally T]

Does the house still have its own water supply?
A well ?
Is it drinkable ?
I had a friend who lived way out in the country in a company house
Her man was a truck driver who spread fertilizer on paddocks
Their kitchen sink had a mysterious 3rd tap - i was the only one game enough to drink out of it

Thankfully yes, modern day taps & a flushing toilet - what luxury!

However..... the water supply pipes need to be checked, as there is no record to state they were ever replaced from the lead lined pipes used when constructed. I'm pretty sure all the Vicars retired nicely & into old age, but.... they need checking & replacing if necessary!

 

[RunningwithScissors]

I just read through this whole thread. WOW WOW WOW!!!!!

What a grand and amazing adventure you are on @Ally T !!!

The photos are hauntingly beautiful. Your new home is going to be like something out of a Merchant Ivory film. Thanks for taking us along with you on this journey. Its truly fascinating.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:


....................SSSSOOOOOOOOOO WOT's new? And if discussing house plans is too stressful...how was your vacay??

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Is that trunk open yet ?

 

[Ally T]

HI:


....................SSSSOOOOOOOOOO WOT's new? And if discussing house plans is too stressful...how was your vacay??

Holiday was complete Paradise. We didn't lift a finger & all just switched off lying in the beautiful sunshine, swimming in the warm ocean, drinking & eating too much & all getting a bit sunburnt on Day 1. That Caribbean heat can take you be surprise when the breeze is so strong & refreshing!

The house is still ticking along. The legals haven't been completed yet as a couple of searches have been delayed, they're expected to be returned by 5th May. At that point we shall head into the Solicitors to sign the papers & complete the sale. And then it will be ours!!

We spent the afternoon with the Architect on Monday which was brilliant. Just to see the offices, meet the team & watch how their fantastic software brings a pencil sketch to a virtual reality visual that you can walk around & understand better was amazing. We bashed around some initial ideas & are back later next week for the first official meeting to start to get stuck in.

Whilst we were away we had a slightly concerning email from the Solicitors to list some new covenants that the Diocese are slapping on the new Title Deeds. Nothing is a deal breaker, but it is very dictatorial & almost offensive. We're not allowed to ever use the property as a religious school, sell alcohol, rent it out via Air BnB or any other similar short term holiday letting, or, and this is the best, use is as a brothel or anything similar that will bring it into disrepute. This is going to be a family home!!! We're also not allowed to disrupt the vicar or parishioners attending church. As if we're going to sit outside on a Sunday morning with placards saying God isn't real?!

As I say, non are dealbreakers, but we've gone from never removing the gate posts or foundation stone, so not being able to prune back some of the huge trees in the garden as they've slapped Tree Protection Orders on them. So we'll have to apply to the local council for permission should we need any tree works. There are a LOT of trees & we planned to thin some areas out. It also means our new garage block can't be sited where we wanted it to be.

But! None of that will put us off. We felt much better when we found one of our neighbours here has a covenant on her 1710 cottage that dates to 1840 something, saying she can never sell salted fish from the property

 

[Gloria27]

Here are some pictures from the hideously old, yellowing & falling apart Bible. Written by beautiful hand inside the first few blank pages, are records of many baptisms in the parish. These all seem to belong to the Houghton family, who's name is taped inside the cover.

Left page: how I write as an adult, right page: how I used to write in second grade and get scolded for it. Aaah, those were the days!

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

No brothel? No selling of trinkets and salted fish? Total deal breakers for me!!!

Wonderful your vacay was a nice refresh. Continued success the restoration of your new home.

I know all about covenants. I don't mind the "rules". Trees have great aesthetic and monetary value on vintage property....until they "come down or uproot"....and well, cause those kinds of issues...

cheers--Sharon

 

[autumngems]

Apologies, I thought I had added a picture of one of the chimney stacks for you. The brickwork is INCREDIBLE. There are three of these huge towering things!

Is there a website or name of the old vicarage I love to read about the history of old stuff like this?

 

[Ally T]

Is there a website or name of the old vicarage I love to read about the history of old stuff like this?

Hi @autumngems ! There is information out there about the house & it's history, yes. But I'm going to keep it private due to the fact that this is going to be our family home, for security reasons. You'll all be lining up at my door for a tour

I will definitely be posting further pictures down the line & I hope this is OK

 

[SparklieBug]

I will definitely be posting further pictures down the line & I hope this is OK

I so hope you continue to share your adventure, and photos! I adore traveling along with you vicariously. And Booooo!, to the added covenants. Does the church actually want to sell the property? Sheesh! Talk about attaching conditions to someone else's property.

Must be so disappointing to have to change plans about having an on-site "pleasure palace" for booze, babes and bro's.

 

[Calliecake]

Oh @Ally T, It must be disappointing to have your hopes and dreams of having a brothel and a bar just whisked away. Your comments make me laugh. We can get you the lawn chairs for your Sunday morning ritual of holding up signs as your housewarming gift.

Please continue to share the story of renovating your new home. I’m so happy for you and your family @Ally T. So many happy memories to be made in this home.

 

[autumngems]

Is this the property you were looking at before and someone else bid on?

 

[autumngems]

It sounds like a lot of work and a very large place to upkeep after the children have left, I couldn't not do it.