20, The Close

No. 20 The Close is a house, now divided into two residences, built in either 1819 or 1833. It is constructed of brick with ashlar dressings and features a double-span tile roof with brick end stacks. The building has a double-depth plan and is designed in the Georgian style, standing three storeys high with a symmetrical five-window range. The exterior includes a stucco plinth, a first-floor sill band, and a top cornice with a parapet. The entrance features a rusticated opening with a Tuscan aedicule that has a frieze and cornice. There is a recessed porch accessed by steps, which is also rusticated, and it contains a large half-glazed door along with six-panel return doors. The entrance to the left end has a rubbed brick flat arch and a half-glazed door. The windows are adorned with sills and have rubbed brick flat arches over 12-pane sashes, while the second floor has 6-pane sashes. The rear of the building has a central section that breaks forward under a pediment, with a brick terrace at the ground floor level.

Inside, the windows are fitted with shutters, and there is an open-well staircase located to the right of the center, featuring a cast-iron balustrade. From 1872 to 1972, this building served as the residence of the principal of the Theological College, which was expanded in the 1870s. The only surviving part of those additions is the chapel built in 1885, as the rest was demolished in 1981.