Main Building To Farnborough Hill Convent

The main building of Farnborough Hill Convent is a large house designed by H.E. Kendall Junior, built in 1863 for T.G. Longman, a publisher. After Longman's death in 1879, the house was purchased by the widowed Empress of Napoleon III, who extended it in 1883. The building served as a 'court in exile' until her death in 1920. In the 21st century, it has been used as a Roman Catholic public school for girls, with further extensions.

This impressive structure features two storeys and a five-storey tower above the entrance. The ground floor is constructed of red brick, adorned with lavish Bath stone dressings. Above, there is an elaborate half-timbered superstructure in a late-medieval Continental style. The roof is steeply pitched with tiles, featuring a pyramid-shaped octagonal turret covered in lead, as well as mini-hips and numerous gables. The gables and dormers are decorated with ornate barge boards. The framework has plaster infilling, some of which includes relief carvings, and there are bands at both the first and second floor levels. The windows are designed with mullion and transom fenestration, using wood for the upper sections and stone for the ground floor. The building showcases a highly decorative treatment, including the monogram of the first owner. There are later additions from several periods, with earlier features in a French style and the most recent additions in a simpler neo-Georgian style.