Rectory Court

The four houses in this small development were completed in 2001. They are on the site of the former Rectory and its grounds.

An early picture of the Rectory and its tennis court, probably not long after 1900.

The Rectory was built in 1800. Clearly there was an earlier building, presumably on the same site. In October 1797, the Curate, Rev. Thomas Thomas, wrote to the Rector (who seems rarely, if ever, to have lived there himself), "Part of the Stable next to the Lime fell in on the late rainy Monday. Perhaps it may be to your Advantage to be at the Expence of a few Shillings about the Parsonage Premises this Winter to prevent some Articles from being stolen." More than this was needed; by May 1799, Rev. Thomas was writing, "Pulling down prevented grazing ye Garden..".

The Rectory in about 1910. 



The approach to the rectory from early 20th Century

The plain, rather severe new Georgian Rectory was the Rector's home from 1800 to 1951. The trend towards having one rector in charge of several parishes meant that Farndon's Rector no longer lived in the village, but first at Marston Trussell and then later (as currently) at Great Oxendon.

The house was used as a paper factory and warehouse in the 1970s and 1980s. But when this usage ended, the building fell into disrepair.It was demolished in the early 1990s.

The Rectory after a fire and prior to demolition in 1990

The former Rectory,  now a disused paper factory, up for sale in 1990.

In its heyday, before there was a village hall, the Rectory was the scene of many village social activities. In July 1895, the 'parish tea' was held there and eighty people attended. There was dancing on the lawn, which was decorated with Chinese lanterns. For 150 years the house was one of the main centres of village life.