Vicarage (Old) – and Leigh’s Four Vicarages

OLD VICARAGE (Leigh’s Four Vicarages)

There have been four vicarages in Leigh – the first was built for Leigh’s first Vicar in 1354 but by 1393 it was falling down and Tonbridge Priory agreed that William Goddard, the then Vicar, should have 3 acres of glebe and a new vicarage.  This second vicarage stood on the site occupied now by Inglenook and remained the vicarage until the mid-19th century.  It consisted of a hall, with brick chimney and a parlour at the north end and a chamber over the parlour and garret above.  At the south end of the hall there were three ground floor rooms and three upper rooms ‘well covered with tyles’.  There was also a thatched barn.  The house was surrounded by a moat.  This vicarage with its square garden inside the moat on the south and its entrance court is shown on the 1869 25” OS map.

When Rev. Thomas May became Vicar in 1830, this Vicarage, in a dilapidated state, must have been inadequate for him, with his nine children and so, between 1861-1870, he built/extended Upper Kennards.  The 1872 Drainage Report gives some further information on this Vicarage – it states that the guttering was “in moderate order round main part of house and delivering into two water butts.  No gutter to outbuildings.  Two WCs out of doors and one in the house all with pans and connected with new drains.  Three sinks also connected.  Stables not at present connected.  An old gulley, connected with new system by a piece of old drain and an old gulley near kitchen door taking overflow from water butt and surface water from brick paving but not connected with new drainage” (owner/occupier: Rev. Thos May).  The Drainage Map shows the outline of this vicarage which is surrounded by two large ponds.

When he retired in 1876, this vicarage was condemned and the new Vicar, Rev. Collum resided for two years at the Woods.  A new (third) vicarage was agreed and on 5 March 1877 Samuel Morley laid the foundation stone.  This was a large imposing house – see pictures below – similar to other vicarages built about this time.  The stables for this new (third) vicarage were built on the site of the old vicarage – i.e. at Inglenook.   Between 1906 and 1918 the old Vicarage was lived in by Amy Catherine Walton authoress and wife of the Vicar Octavius Walton.

By 1961 the 1877 Vicarage was found to be too big and was sold off to the Jackson family and another (fourth) vicarage was built in the vicarage garden to designs by Neil MacFadyen and was opened by the Bishop on 15 October 1961.  Later, another house (Orchard Lodge)  was also built in part of the large gardens of the Old Vicarage by the Jackson family, who would move into it, selling the Old Vicarage.

Joyce Field (July 2021)

 

 

The Old Vicarage. Photograph from the album of Rev. Octavius Walton (vicar of Leigh 1906-18)
The Old Vicarage. Photograph from the album of Rev. Octavius Walton (vicar of Leigh 1906-18)
The Old Vicarage. Photograph from the album of Rev. Octavius Walton (vicar of Leigh 1906-18)
The Old Vicarage. Photograph from the album of Rev. Octavius Walton (vicar of Leigh 1906-18)
The Old Vicarage. Photograph from the album of Rev. Octavius Walton (vicar of Leigh 1906-18)
The Old Vicarage. Photograph from the album of Rev. Octavius Walton (vicar of Leigh 1906-18)