St Mary'S Convent

St Mary's Convent is a manor house, built in 1807 and extensively altered in the late 19th century. A chapel was added in the early 20th century, and the building was enlarged around 1933. The exterior is rendered with a cement finish, and has slate roofs hidden behind a parapet. The building is arranged in an L-shape, with the main entrance on the east front and a long south front overlooking the garden. A chapel is attached to the northeast, and there are extensive 20th-century additions to the north, which are not of special architectural interest.

The main south front is three stories over a basement, with a two-story section to the west also over a basement. The front has 2, 2, and 3 bays, featuring a full-height bow front at the east end. The elevations are defined by flat string courses. The windows are sash windows: the second floor has 6-pane windows; the first floor has 12-pane windows with one blind opening and a 6-pane sash window at the west end; and the ground floor has windows with a 6-pane upper sash and an un-glazed lower sash. There are two French casement windows at the west end, fronted by a two-bay canopy and cast-iron balcony. Cast-iron railings and a balcony are also present at the doorway in the fourth bay from the left.

The east return (main entrance) has 2, 1, and 2 bays, featuring a pilaster porch extended with a two-story addition crowned by a pediment with a modillion cornice, likely dating to the late 19th century. A panelled front door leads to a double door entrance with half-glazed panels, each with shaped heads and etched glass.

Internally, notable features survive from the late 19th century. These include a trelliswork surround that separates the outer hall from the stairhall, cast-iron balusters with a mahogany handrail on the staircase, and overdoors in the hall featuring cherubs, flowers, and urns moulded in high relief. The principal rooms on the south front have black marble fireplaces, while a room at the west end features an ornate red and white marble fireplace with ormolu and enamel cheeks. Arch-head openings flanking this fireplace suggest a previous extension to the north. A datestone set in a wall within the service court is dated 1807 and bears the initials I.B., for John Borrer. The manor house was built by John Borrer (1785-1866), and his family is commemorated in the nearby Church of St Nicholas. The remains of the original medieval manor house lie between the buildings. The house was sold to the Roman Catholic order of the Poor Servants of the Mother of God in 1904, who subsequently added to the fabric around 1933.