The Manor House (The Sacred Heart Convent High School)

The Manor House, now the Sacred Heart Convent High School

This is a substantial house, built for Sir Richard Vickris in 1656, which incorporated an earlier building including a tower said to date from the late 15th or early 16th century. The building has undergone many alterations over time. It was largely rebuilt from 1864 by the architect John Norton, during which work 16th and 17th century internal features were incorporated from other buildings. Some 20th century alterations have also been made.

The building is constructed of coursed, squared sandstone rubble and freestone with limestone dressings, with plain tiled roofs featuring raised coped verges. It has an irregular plan and asymmetrical design, combining Tudor Gothic style with French Chateau-style features.

The east front rises to three and a half storeys across five bays. To the left stands an embattled tower with a carved blind window with hood mould at first floor level, a two-light trefoil-headed window with hood mould at second floor, and a similar three-light window with Perpendicular tracery at third floor. The tower is topped by a cornice with gargoyles. To the right is a polygonal corbelled turret with single trefoil-headed lights at first and second floor levels, corbelled shafts with pinnacles at the angles, and a sharply pointed steeple roof.

The central feature is a porch with a two-storey oriel above, displaying a wide four-centred arched doorway. The oriel contains cross windows with trefoil heads and single lights to each side at ground and first floor level, with a frieze of shields between storeys, string courses featuring gargoyles, an embattled parapet, and a gable set back above with a lancet and finial. The bay to the left of centre has two similar trefoil-headed windows at ground and first floor levels. The bay to the right has a four-light and single light window at ground floor, two two-light windows at first floor, and at second floor a three-light window to the left and two two-light windows to the right with pointed arches. Stepped gables to each side feature lancets and finials, with plain string courses above ground floor windows and string courses with masks at the cills and lintels of the second floor windows.

The left return comprises four bays. To the left is a gable end with a canted bay through two storeys, featuring diagonal buttresses and pinnacles, a three-light trefoil-headed window at ground floor centre with two-light windows to each side, and a three-light Perpendicular-style window at first floor with blind stone tracery on the apron. Similar two-light windows with Y-tracery flank this. An embattled parapet tops this section. The two central bays are broken forward, each with mullion and transom windows at ground and first floor, a frieze with shields between storeys, and a pierced parapet with quatrefoils and a gable above each bay containing a lancet. A tower to the right features a pointed arched door with side lights, a two-light window at first floor, a sundial at second floor, and a three-light Perpendicular-style window at third floor. A stair turret to the left contains lancet windows. Collar windows light three bays to the left, with string courses at cills and lintels featuring gargoyles at first floor lintel level.

The right return is built in unsquared rubble and features a four-centred arched door with external steps, a 20th century single light and stone chamfered cross window to the right, a six-light mullion and transom window at first floor, and a cross window at second floor, topped by battlements. A bay broken forward to the right has a two-light cellar window and cross windows at ground and first floor. To the right stands a circular corner tower built of rubble masonry of earlier appearance, topped with a later high steeple roof on corbelled eaves.

The rear elevation has two bays to the right with embattled parapet, a four-centred arched opening with double glazed doors, a two-light trefoil-headed window to the left, and a two-light window with chamfered mullion at first floor left, with a cross window featuring trefoil heads to the right. A wide gabled wing to the left displays a ten-light mullion and transom window with relieving arch and lancet. A limestone ridge stack with quatrefoils on the parapet completes the rear.

The interior contains an early 17th century open well staircase with splat balusters, wide handrail and lion finials. Fine quality oak panelling is present in the great hall, the banquet hall and the west drawing room. The great hall fireplace is dated 1656 and features a carved overmantel. A Tudor-style fireplace in the front right room is dated 1864. The remainder of the interior was not accessible at the time of survey in December 1984.