The Old Vicarage Chapel Lane

This is one of a number of houses in Coddington connected with the clergy or whose name implies that it was once a vicarage. These include:

  • The Old Vicarage (Chapel Lane)
  • The Gables (Chapel Lane)
  • The Vicarage (Newark Road)
  • The Old Parsonage (Newark Road)
  • Old Vicarage (Main St, Plough crossroads).  

old vicarage chapel lane“The Old Vicarage” is a two storey brick house with two gable chimneystacks and Yorkshire sliding sash windows. It stands on Chapel Lane, facing the NW exit from the churchyard (where the Thorpe family graves are).

 

The earliest deeds relating to this property tell us that in 1864 this “piece of Glebe Land … containing 2 roods 9 perches (a rood was ¼ acre) in the care of Rev. John Maximilian Dolphin was exchanged with a piece of land of similar size belonging to James Thorpe of Beaconfield House” (later renamed Coddington Hall). The Right Reverend John Lord, Bishop of Lincoln had to agree to this exchange which was then ratified by the Tithe Commissioners once they were satisfied that it was a fair exchange. At this date the land was described as “The Garden Orchard and Yards etc., the Vicarage House and Offices and Piggery’” This suggests that this house was the vicarage up to 1864.
 

Before 1860 Coddington had been part of the benefice of East Stoke, and the vicar might not have used the property in Coddington at all. The fabric of many churches and vicarages had become run down by this time, and census records reveal that curates serving the village sometime lodged with the Booths at Homestead on Balderon Lane.  A new parsonage house on Newark Road was built for Rev Dolphin, which was completed in 1874 for £1600 (£1000 raised by subscription and a grant from Queen Anne’s Bounty).

 

{insert photo of house A848 – postcard looking towards Coddington House walls}

 

Joseph Chauntry Hunt, head teacher from 1883 to 1925, lived here. He was a disciplinarian, but had great energy and many new ideas for the school. See a drawing of him, information about his family and about the NationalSchoolhere. We are extremely fortunate to have the school logbook, written by Joseph and by his predecessor John Roberts, giving a day to day account of life in the school between 1872 and 1912. It makes fascinating reading and gives a unique insight into the two men and their professional concerns. The logbook was used by local historian Rolf Vernon in his 1987 book about the school.

 
After his death in 1938, Joseph’s widow Mary and son Ronald continued to live here. Before her marriage Mary was the successful headmistress of Barnby School. Joseph, Mary and their son Ronald are all buried in Coddington churchyard. Follow this link for much more information about Joseph and Mary Chauntry Hunt {insert link} in the People section (supplied by George Hunt).

  

The house stayed in the Hunt family until 1975. We have a picture from that time showing  its parlous state, with gaping holes in the roof and a tree growing uncomfortably close to the front door. Fortunately, it escaped demolition – the fate of many run down cottages in Coddington – and was rescued and renovated.
{insert photograph – A1936 old photo, house from the rear}