Listed Building: THE OLD VICARAGE (467448)

WEYMOUTH SY6880SW DORCHESTER ROAD 873-1/16/70 (East side) 15/11/95 No.2 The Old Vicarage GV II Former vicarage to St John's Church (qv), now used as a language school. 1859 (Ricketts). Squared coursed Portland stone, limestone dressings, slate roof. PLAN: a complex gabled free-standing villa in severe Gothic with Butterfield-like detailing, immediately to the N of the church, and formerly within the churchyard. EXTERIOR: 2 storeys and attics, windows are generally cusped lancets in various formats, with flush stone dressings and chamfer mouldings, and all chimney stacks have been cropped to just above ridge height. The principal gables are coped, with saddle-stones and moulded kneelers. The entrance front, to the W, has 2 small gables with trefoil lights above paired cusped lights, and at ground floor a 3-light, with, to the right, on 2 steps, a plank door on strap hinges in a bold porch with coped gable on kneelers, and outer pointed opening with label and chamfer surround to diamond stops; each cheek has a small trefoil opening. The coped gable to the left return has a broad stack, and there is a small gabled boiler house set forward from the main front. To the right of the porch, in the plane of the main wall, is a coped gable, with broad external stack, with stepped weathering above a sunk trefoil panel with a coat of arms, concealed by growth at the time of survey. The principal front, facing the church (S) has a face dormer with paired lancet above 1:2:1 lancets to a continuous label and sill band, above the same at ground floor. Stepped forward to the right is a gable with trefoil above a paired lancet with blind trefoil under a label, and sill band, above a hexagonal stone-roofed bay with 1:3:1 lancets. The return, facing E, has a wide external stack with a paired lancet dormer adjoining. Below, to the right, is a triple-lancet stair window, then a stepped-forward gable end with triple lancet at ground and first floors. The N front has 2 large external stacks. A high plinth all round the building. INTERIOR: retains many original panelled doors, and the bay window has panelled linings and soffit. The main staircase is a dogleg with square iron balusters and a swept handrail. Apart from the cropping of the stacks, the building appears to be as originally designed, and is an important adjunct to the church, both historically and architecturally. (Ricketts E: The Buildings of Old Weymouth: Melcombe Regis and Westham: Weymouth: 1976-: 158). Listing NGR: SY6821380096

Record last edited

Oct 14 2009 11:23AM