The Old Rectory (also known as Parsonage Court) is a ruin of a former rectory in the village of Warton, near Lancaster,

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancash ...

, England. Owned by

English Heritage English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts and country houses. The charity states that i ...

, it has been designated a

Scheduled Ancient Monument In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change. The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...

and Grade I

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

. The rectory is believed to have been built in the early 14th century as the residence of the rector of the parish of St Oswald's, Warton, probably by two younger sons of Marmaduke, Lord Thweng. Manorial courts were also held here. The walls are of limestone rubble with sandstone dressings, and a cross passage originally separated the full-height great hall on the southern side from service rooms and a first floor chamber at the other end of the house. The doorway at the eastern end of the cross passage is interpreted as the main entrance, while the western one led into a garden, and both originally had a

porch A porch (from Old French ''porche'', from Latin ''porticus'' "colonnade", from ''porta'' "passage") is a room or gallery located in front of an entrance of a building. A porch is placed in front of the facade of a building it commands, and form ...

. A doorway in the northern

gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...

wall led into a

courtyard A courtyard or court is a circumscribed area, often surrounded by a building or complex, that is open to the sky. Courtyards are common elements in both Western and Eastern building patterns and have been used by both ancient and contemporary ...

with an external kitchen and a well. In the south-west corner of the great hall is a doorway that led to another building which survives as part of the modern vicarage. The southern gable had an

ogee An ogee ( ) is the name given to objects, elements, and curves—often seen in architecture and building trades—that have been variously described as serpentine-, extended S-, or sigmoid-shaped. Ogees consist of a "double curve", the combinat ...

quatrefoiled window under the apex to provide light. It is not known exactly when the rectory was abandoned, after being replaced by a new rectory, but it was a ruin by 1721. Some time later, a cottage was constructed in the north end of the ruin, which was occupied well into the 20th century, however these additions have since been removed. The ruin is considered to be well preserved, with the gables surviving to almost their full height. It is open to visitors, free of charge.

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Image:Doorways to service rooms, Old Rectory, Warton - geograph.org.uk - 166428.jpg, Arched doorways Image:Warton Old Rectory - geograph.org.uk - 697520.jpg, Taken in 1992 Image:The Old Rectory, Warton - geograph.org.uk - 166426.jpg, The ruins with St Oswald's Church in the background

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English Heritage Properties (Visitor Information)

Lancashire County Council - Archaeology & Heritage
{{City of Lancaster buildings Grade I listed buildings in Lancashire Scheduled monuments in Lancashire Buildings and structures in the City of Lancaster English Heritage sites in Lancashire Ruins in Lancashire Clergy houses in England Grade I listed houses

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