Up for sale for the first time ever, this home is about to make one lucky family very happy indeed.
The Rectory was built in 1880, by the rector of nearby St Andrew’s Church, in Bebington, and has been continually lived in since that date by the rectors of this beautiful church.
The current holder of this honour is the Reverend David Vestergaard, who, with his wife Aisling, has lived here for 10 years, and have loved every minute of that time.
‘We moved in during August 2013,’ David says, ‘and our sons, Jacob and Dan, were aged 11 and nine at the time. It’s been great living here, but this is really a very large family home, and much too big for present day clergy needs. The diocese has therefore decided to sell the property and we shall be moving somewhere a little more modern.’
This marvellous red-brick home has been constructed in classic Arts and Crafts style, and sits in almost one acre of gardens, with established woodland, forming part of what future owners can enjoy.
‘Oh, the gardens have been marvellous for us,’ says Aisling. ‘We love to entertain and have been able to so much both in the house and in the garden. The gardens are perfect for small parties and large. We have held family parties here and many, many church events. We have even been able to have a local charity bring the families they support for some respite time in a safe, green space.
In spring and early summer, the gardens are a mass of colour from the rhododendrons, just a wall of blossoms in different colours. At Easter and Christmas it has
been used for several years for an outdoor dramatisation of the Easter story and the nativity. Indeed, some corners of the garden are even named for this now, such as the shepherds’ corner and the Garden of Gethsemane.’
With five bedrooms, two bathrooms on the first floor, and three further possible bedrooms and three storerooms on the second floor, this is a home designed to be filled with people, something the Vestergaards have certainly taken advantage of.
‘Growing up, the boys were able to have large groups of friends here for sleepovers,’ Aisling adds. The boys would have Nerf gun wars up and down the stairs, and games of hide and seek could go on forever, there are so many places one can tuck oneself away.
‘Christmas is always a glorious time at the Rectory. We would fill the house with decorations and people. It’s a home designed for sharing. Indeed, we have been able to have family and friends stay for extended periods of time,
making it their home, and not have anybody feel like it was an encroachment.’
It seems the best part of living at The Rectory is the ability to make it a happy family home, and bring in others to share the pleasure. This is made easily possible with the space available to residents, with a drawing room, dining room
and large open-plan kitchen, with a breakfast area.
The home also offers a home office and an additional space that has been used as a meeting room, with an office and storage room above – perfect for today’s work-from-home culture.
With extra storage rooms, a utility room and cellars, the potential for this property is almost endless. ‘We hope the future owners of The Rectory are able to embrace it fully, as we have done,’ David says. ‘Living in it and learning about it, discovering the happy little quirks and enjoying the original features that have been in place since it was built in 1880.
As you can imagine, as a church property very little more than necessary modernisation and redecoration has taken place since it was built.’
A particularly interesting original feature is the beamed stairway and stained-glass
window on the turn of the stairs, a beautiful Arts and Crafts sunflower scene, which scatters golden light into the home as the light shines through.
‘Flowers do seem to be a theme,’ David says. ‘There are many other examples throughout the house. As the house has been lived in, barely altered, by rectors
of St Andrew’s since the end of the 19th century, it’s been possible to trace every resident.
‘There’s a list of them, of course, in the church, and one of our parishioners has done some additional research, using census data. You can see who lived here since the beginning, including the lists of servants once in residence.
‘Times have certainly changed,’ he laughs. ‘It’s a very different world now.’
Will they miss living here? ‘Oh, it will be a huge wrench to leave,’ Aisling says, ‘but it’s time for the house to have a new family, and we hope whoever is lucky enough to live here next has as much fun as we have had, and makes as many happy memories.’
The Rectory is for sale through Fisher German estate agency, for offers in excess of £950,000. Contact Daniel Hayhurst on 01565 745 326, or visit fishergerman.co.uk
