Convent Of St John The Baptist

The Convent of St John the Baptist is an Anglican convent built in phases between 1853 and 1881, designed by Henry Woodyer. It was extended in 1926 by Cecil Hare, with further additions in the mid-20th century. The building is constructed of red brick with stone dressings and has a steeply pitched Welsh slate roof with gabled and hipped forms, and axial and lateral brick stacks.

The convent comprises a large range of buildings arranged around three quadrangles. The original central convent was constructed first, with a chapel on its southeastern corner in 1857. Woodyer added extensions in 1873 featuring a small chapel from the northeastern angle of the original cloistered quadrangle, a further range to the southwest in 1874, and a large chapel (separately listed) to the southeast in 1881. Cecil Hare added extensions in 1926 on the south and southeast sides, creating a second quadrangle, and the convent was extended again to the north in the mid-20th century.

The architectural style is High Victorian Gothic. The west front is asymmetrical, with the original building set back, featuring an elaborate moulded brick gable over the entrance. A 1874 extension projects to the right, and the facade incorporates pointed arch windows, smaller gables, and two tiers of gabled and half-hipped dormers. The 1926 extension is set back further to the right, displaying a loggia on its south side and a squat embattled tower within the quadrangle. The centre and south quadrangles feature cloisters and stair turrets. At the rear (east), the 1881 chapel stands to the left, next to the 1857 chapel, which features Geometrical windows. An 1873 extension is situated to the right, with flanking gables and a small chapel integrated into the angle of the right-hand gable.

The interior remains largely intact, although the main entrance has been altered. Surviving features include joinery, chimneypieces, newel stairs, cloisters, and chapels. The 1857 chapel has an arch-braced roof, and the 1873 chapel is richly decorated.