Abbey House

Abbey House is a building dating from the late 18th century, with early 19th-century alterations to its windows and door, as well as modern additions on the east side. It is located on the site of King Alfred's Nunnaminster, the Abbey of Benedictine Nuns. The north front faces High Street and features two storeys of red brick with a battlemented parapet and two small four-storey towers at the corners, creating a symmetrical appearance. The roof is tiled. On the ground floor, there is a central door flanked by two Gothic windows and two slit windows, with a string course above. The first floor has a central oriel window and two additional windows, with the door and windows having been inserted in the early 19th century. The south front, which faces the garden, is from the 18th century and includes two tripartite sash windows on the ground floor and five sash windows with glazing bars above. This side features a cornice, parapet, and a pediment over the large hipped tile roof, along with a six-panel door that has a pedimented surround at the side.