The properties in the northern part of the parish, along the Ayot St Peter Road, mostly have historic links to the church.
Ayot Montfitchet was called Ayot Place, until it was renamed in the latter part of the 20th century, following extensive works to the house and its gardens. The name “Montfitchet” relates to the history of the house. In the 14th century the single manor of Ayot St. Peter was split into two manors, or moieties, when it had to be divided between two daughters on the death of their mother. One moiety had the name of Ayot Montfichet and seems to have held the advowson (or right of presentation of the living) of Ayot St. Peter church until around 1700.
The earliest part of the present building is an open hall dating from about 1485. The house and estate passed throuh various hands until William Hales of King’s Walden sold it to Viscount Melbourne and it became a tenant farm of the Brocket Estate. The house, together with the garden wall to its south and east side and the pigeon loft in what was the farm courtyard, are listed buildings. Ayot Montfitchet is now a private house.
The Old Churchyard was the site of the parish churches from medieval times to 1874, when the last church on this site was destroyed by fire. See more ….
Ayot Bury was the rectory from earliest times and continued until 1867. In 1700 Rev. Charles Horne added substantially to the house and (according to the listing records) no trace of the earlier house exists today. The house itself, the barn and a former bakehouse are all listed buildings. The properties either side of the entrance onto Ayot St Peter Road were workers’ cottages [now demolished and re-built as The Oaks] and the lodge house (Ayot Bury Lodge). These were originally part of the Bury estate, but are now both private houses.
The house known as the Old Rectory was the Victorian rectory, built in 1867, when Ayot Bury was sold into private hands. The Grange was the third rectory in the village, from 1964 to 1975 when it was sold as a private house.
The old Victorian school and schoolmistress’ house were built in 1871. Both are now private houses known as Hornbeam House and Sauls Wood House (the current names of the school and the teacher’s house respectively). See more …
The current church was built in 1875 after the last church on the old site had been destroyed by fire. The church is listed grade II. See more ….
There are two other properties along this stretch of road. Tamarisk (opposite the old churchyard), was previous two cottages known as Ryefield Farm Cottages and was probably built in 1832, at the same time as Ryefield Farm itself.
St Peter’s Spinney, at the top of School Lane, was formerly a lodge house for the Frythe. It was built by the Wilshere Estate (owners of the Frythe) in about 1920, and was known as West Lodge.