Living room with wood paneling, stone fireplace with wood logs, a wood stove, and fireplace tools. Decor includes blue and white vases on shelves, a framed artwork, a table lamp, and books on a side table.

The Old Vicarage is the home of Asterion & Co. and the place from which everything we do begins.

Originally a 16th-century farmhouse and later a village vicarage, it has long been a place of gathering, hospitality and community.

Today it remains a working home as much as a place of learning. Its rooms reflect many of the things I love: classical influences, craftsmanship, gardening, collecting and the stories carried by old objects. Throughout the year it becomes the backdrop to workshops, shared lunches, conversations and new friendships.

Whether you're learning to prune fruit trees, making a festive wreath, exploring a creative practice, or simply spending time in the garden with fellow guests, we hope you'll leave with a stronger sense of season, place and connection.

Thank you for taking a look around. I look forward to welcoming you to The Old Vicarage and sharing it with you.

Neil Crump
Founder, Asterion & Co.

Four centuries of change…

Originally built as a farmhouse in 1598, the house later became the village vicarage sometime after 1851, remaining church property until 1983.

Today, the house has been made structurally sound and reimagined as a place for learning, hospitality and connection.

The expansion of the property

The Old Vicarage was Grade II listed in 1968 for its external architectural significance of its 16th-century façade, stone mullion windows and gabled stone porch.

Over the centuries, the house evolved through a series of substantial additions to the north and east of the original 1598 farmhouse.

Agricultural working rooms were gradually built onto the rear of the property and, over time, absorbed into the domestic house itself.

This process repeated across generations, creating a building whose rear footprint extends far beyond the proportions suggested by its formal front façade.

In the yard, traces of these phased extensions can still be seen in the varying bands of local “Doulting Rubble” stonework used throughout the house, which thankfully lends the building an unexpected sense of continuity and uniformity.

The substantial Victorian conservatory once attached to the house (visible in the historic photographs) no longer survives, although remnants of its terracotta, brown and black tiled flooring can still be found stacked around the grounds today.

At the centre of the Leigh-on-Mendip community

For more than 130 years, the house served as the centre of parish life in Leigh-on-Mendip.

Across generations, clergy and their families lived here, hosted village gatherings, cared for parishioners and shaped the life of the community.

The clergy that resided here

Revd GA Mahon

Curate from 1855 | First incumbent to live at the Vicarage from 1860–1896

Revd Mahon was the first clergyman to reside at The Old Vicarage. Census records from 1881 show a lively household of family and staff, including nine children, a governess, nurse, cook and housemaid - that’s 15 people!

He became something of a local character after reportedly being shot with bull’s blood in protest against his sermons on drunkenness.

Revd JEW Honnywill

1896–1927

Pictured with Mrs Honnywill on bench

Revd Honnywill and his wife lived at the house for over thirty years.

Known for their generosity within the parish, they provided clothing and boots for families in need and hosted gatherings in the gardens, including a large tea party celebrating the consecration of the new church room.

Revd R Lloyd-Williams

1927–1954

Pictured in back row with Mothers’ Union gathering on lawn in 1930

Revd Lloyd-Williams served the parish until his death in 1954.

Remarkably, Leigh-on-Mendip had only three incumbents across almost a century, giving the house an unusual continuity of stewardship and memory.

The subsequent incumbents were:

  • Revd H S Hancock, 1955–1959 (pictured with a plump cat)

  • Revd H Rigg-Stansfield, 1960–1962

  • Revd EHH Tiller, 1963–1967

  • Revd GSW Kerslake, 1968–1974

  • Revd HJ Fisher, 1974–1981

The house after the Vicarage years

After Revd and Mrs Fisher left in 1981, the house stood empty and increasingly neglected.

At auction in 1983, the property failed to reach its reserve price before later being sold privately. Extensive restoration and rewiring works were subsequently undertaken.

Unfortunately, much of the renovation work carried out during the 1980s lacked the quality and longevity required for a building of this age and significance. In the decades that followed, maintenance became increasingly limited, and many underlying problems remained unresolved.

Following his relocation to Somerset and purchase of The Old Vicarage, Neil Crump embarked upon an extensive programme of restoration and repair. Over the course of almost two years, significant structural and remedial works were undertaken throughout the house to address long-standing issues, replace failing 1980s fabric and secure the building's future.

The work represented a substantial investment of time, care and resources, but reflected a belief that historic buildings are not simply inherited: they are held in trust for future generations.

Today, The Old Vicarage continues its long tradition as a place of gathering, hospitality and community.

Learn more about the grounds and garden of The Old Vicarage here.

If you know additional stories, photographs or history connected to The Old Vicarage, we would be delighted to hear from you.

During a recent Open Garden event, a guest who had lived here as a teenager brought historical photographs of the house, which will be added to this archive soon.

The Old Vicarage Today

A Home for Heritage-Inspired Learning™

A stone house with a tiled roof, surrounded by greenery, with a driveway and a parked white car to the right. There are potted plants near the wooden front door and a black metal gate at the entrance, with a sign that reads "The Old Vicarage."
A rectangular grey sign attached to a stone wall with four metal bolts, reading "The Old Vicarage" in white lettering.
A stone house surrounded by a lush garden with colorful flowers and an ornate stone planter on a pedestal.
A cozy living room fireplace with a wood stove, firewood, and fireplace tools, surrounded by wooden paneled walls decorated with ceramics, a carved stone relief, and framed artwork.
Three blue and white decorative vases with classical motifs, draped garlands, and intricate reliefs, displayed on a wooden shelf.
Living room with wood-paneled walls, two beige armchairs, a small round wooden table, decorative pillows with bee and floral designs, a candle, a mug, a framed artwork of a person surfing, and a large blue paddle leaning against the wall.
White ceramic sculptures of disembodied feet and hands are displayed on a wooden window sill in a rustic room with wooden cabinets and green outside view.
Decorative objects on a wooden surface, including a bowl of blue and silver marbled balls, a bowl of pinecones, and a marble tray with various trinkets such as a black lion figurine, a butterfly image inside a box, a floral jewelry box, and a contain
A fireplace with a burning fire and logs inside, surrounded by a stone chimney and black metal fire grate.
A collection of black and white neoclassical-style vases with classical figures and decorative patterns, displayed on a beige mantel against an orange wall.
Close-up of a brown leather-bound copy of "Miller's Dictionary" with gold lettering on the spine, resting on a wooden surface.
A cozy dining room with a wooden table, chairs, a spiral staircase, artwork, bookshelves, a small Christmas tree, and windows letting in natural light.
Six people sitting around a dining table with breakfast items in a decorated room with patterned wallpaper and framed artwork on the wall.
People gathered around a dining table enjoying a meal, with some smiling and engaging in conversation, in a cozy room with decorative plates on a wooden shelf in the background.
A wooden cabinet with decorative vases and a sculpture on top, a framed dog portrait hanging on the wall above, a tall green potted plant to the right, and a lamp with striped shade to the left.
Collection of black decorative urns and vases on a wooden surface against a light-colored wall.
Two wooden beehives outdoors on dirt ground surrounded by green bushes and trees.
Arranged jars of homemade jam on a granite countertop in a kitchen.
Welcome to Somerset Asterion and Co.jpeg
Spiral classroom Asterion & Co.jpeg

Christmas at The Old Vicarage

We loves this season!

A woman and a man standing in front of a decorated Christmas tree, holding a festive wreath together. The woman is wearing a gray puffer coat and a blue top with a green scarf, while the man is wearing a red jacket over a black shirt. The background
A bouquet of colorful roses surrounded by lit candles on a dining table.
Close-up of a decorated Christmas tree with blue and white ornaments, including figurines, baubles, and snowflakes, illuminated with blue and white lights.
A house decorated for Christmas at night with red lights, including illuminated bows in pots outside the door and white lights on the house, with snow on the roof and a wet driveway reflecting the lights.
A decorated Christmas tree with white and blue ornaments and lights in a living room.
Decorated Christmas tree with lights in a cozy living room.

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