The Old Rectory, Lea, Lincolnshire

A former rectory, this five-bedroom house sits in the charming village of Lea, a Civil Parish in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire. Spanning some 5,368 sq ft internally, the main house is awash with original features including exquisite oak panelling in both the dining room and drawing room. Dating from the early 18th century, the house was granted a Grade II-listing for its historical importance to the local area and has been lovingly restored in recent years by the current owners. Externally, a large stable block sits adjacent to the main house, and a delightful dining pavilion is located at the rear of a 1.7-acre garden. Lea sits approximately 2.5 miles south from Gainsborough Town Centre and around 15 miles from Lincoln City Centre. The nearby town of Retford has a train station with a mainline to London Kings Cross in under an hour and 40 minutes.

Setting the Scene

Built in the early 18th-century, the house was originally a rectory serving nearby St Helen's Church, a Grade I-listed building constructed during the 13th-century. In colour-washed brick, the house is a wonderful amalgamation of additions and alterations bridging the late 18th and 19th centuries. Unique to this home, the original cart house, stable and garden pavilion - all included in the sale - are individually Grade-II listed.

The house was renovated by Rev Charles John Anderson in around 1796; evidence of this can be seen in a hand water pump positioned in the courtyard well. It was then used by the rectors of St Helens until it was purchased by the Marshall family in the 1940s. The Marshall's family owned 'Britannia Iron Work's’ in Gainsborough, which was one of the biggest employers in the area manufacturing mini submarines for World War II. It latterly transformed its production into agricultural manufacturing.

The Grand Tour

A private, gravelled driveway leads to an enclosed porch and the main entry to the house. Ahead, the entrance hall is laid with buttery York stone flags that lead towards an original timber staircase.

To the right of the hall is a fine oak panelled room with a fluted pilastered fireplace. Patio doors lead on to a terrace, pouring natural light onto the beautiful parquet floor. From the dining room, the pale yellow sitting room has a log burner and original six-by-six sash windows; a calming and relaxing space, it also leads to an additional living room towards the rear of the plan.

In the kitchen, the electric Aga is neatly tucked into the chimney recess and is surrounded by the chalky white cabinetry. Sensitively modernised, there are integrated appliances and flagstones (?) running underfoot, along with a generous island topped with a black granite worktop which has a under-mounted sink with a side drain and mixer tap. The well-proportioned breakfast room is positioned next to the kitchen and is basked in a south-westerly light from a wide bay window. A helpful provision of utility, boot and boiler rooms take care of the day-to-day workings of modern life, along with a large storeroom.

There are four comfortable bedrooms on the first floor. The principal bedroom has a dressing room and en suite four-piece bathroom with Burlington fittings and a luxurious free-standing bathtub. Two of the bedrooms overlook the garden and have original fireplaces and sash windows. A further dressing room, shower room and bedroom with an en suite complete the floor, with each room picked out in a distinctive palette. The house's fifth bedroom is housed in the pitched attic, with beautifully atmospheric exposed beams.

There are many outbuildings and barn within the house's the grounds. Detached from the main building is a large L-shaped brick barn with several rooms and  water supply, drainage, power and Wi-Fi capacity.

The Great Outdoors 

The Old Rectory sits in grounds of approximately 1.7 acres, with gated gravelled driveways providing off-street parking for multiple cars. The property has extensive formal lawned gardens wrapping around the house with patio areas, mature flowerbeds, trees and shrubs. There is also a mature orchard with a multitude of fruit trees. The grounds also have a brick-built two-storey gazebo overlooking the garden and a glazed veranda.

Found within the grounds, the cart house and stables date to the early 18th century and 20th century respectively; both are built from hardy red brick and are listed separately to the house.

Out and About

Lea is a small rural village and civil parish in the West Lindsey district of Lincolnshire. It has a buoyant local community (including a well-attended tennis club) along with a primary school, park, village hall and fantastic pub close by, Inn on The Green.

The house is under a 10-minute drive from the market town of Gainsborough, which as well as a range of facilities including Marshall's Yard Shopping Centre and Tesco’s. It also has a storied history and was briefly the capital of England when it was conquered for five weeks in 1013 by the King of Denmark. Built in 1460, Gainsborough Old Hall is one of the best-preserved medieval manor houses in England and was visited by Henry VIII and Catherine Howard. There are several churches of historic importance in the town such as the United Reformed Church which was a built as a memorial to John Robinson who was the Pastor to the Mayflower Pilgrims.

There are plenty of excellent independent coffee shops and restaurants to try including Laceby Manor Resort Restaurant which specialises in locally sourced ingredients and delicious sourdough pizzas, or Caldero Lounge in Marshall’s Yard.

There are excellent schooling options in the area including the highly regarded Queen Elizabeth’s High School, White’s Wood Academy and Mercer’s Wood Academy.

The nearby town of Retford offers a train station with a mainline to London King's Cross in under an hour and 40 minutes. Doncaster and Sheffield are reachable in under an hour with links to the M1 to connect to the National Motorway.

Council Tax Band: E