Convent Of Our Lady Of Charity

The Convent of Our Lady of Charity was founded in 1863. The original building was designed by Edward Welby Pugin, with later additions made in 1881, 1889, and 1895 by Chick. It is constructed of red brick with a tiled roof, featuring polychrome brickwork and ashlar dressings. The convent occupies a prominent site, with its main east-facing elevation. The building forms an L-plan, comprising the convent chapel and former great hall to the west, adjoining the entrance elevation which runs north/south. Later sections to the west and north are not of special architectural interest.

The east elevation features a two-storey domestic range to the right and the convent chapel to the left, with a two-stage tower topped with a pyramidal roof projecting forward. The domestic range has a string course and four single-vertical glazing bar sash windows, along with a gabled half-dormer. A rose window is set within the gable, accompanied by two further sash windows. The ground floor mirrors this arrangement with larger windows connected by continuous lintels and a decorative band linking the cills. A pointed-arch headed doorway features decorative lettering and a two-light window. The tower echoes the string course and decorative bands, with two-light vents at the bell stage and a two-light window mirroring the ground-floor window of the domestic range. Elaborate corbelling supports the corner entrance to the ground floor.

The convent chapel has a corbel table and arcading above a projecting lean-to walkway at ground floor level. It contains plain, three-centred arched windows and a rose window above. The eastern end of the chapel is obscured by the projecting Chapel of St James, which features four windows with two cinquefoil-headed lights and an elongated sexfoil.

Inside, the convent chapel retains a contemporary reredos, which was damaged in November 1999.