The Almonry

The Almonry is the sole surviving part of the medieval nunnery, possibly part of the "Bellhouse" court of the barony of Wilton. It dates from the 14th or 15th century and is constructed of ashlar with a tiled roof featuring coped verges and kneelers. A small belfry on the south gable replaces a former chimney. The main architectural features are on the east front, which includes two openings on the first floor: a former two-light cusped headed window with a moulded surround and a heavily moulded doorway with a shouldered lintel. On the ground floor, there is a cusped headed two-light window in a square frame, a blocked door from around 1400, an 18th or 19th century segmental headed entrance, and a three-light oak mullion window to the left. To the far left, there is a two-storey opening with a chamfered ground floor. The south gable features a central restored Tudor arched doorway, designed by Sir Richard Westmacott, with deep mouldings and a moulded head below a drip mould. Above the doorway is a beaded door panel with weathered Pembroke arms, likely also by Sir Richard Westmacott, and a slit vent above. The north gable end has a central buttress and windows to the right, while the west side has a range of two-light mullion windows. Inside, there is a possibly later but very interesting roof that has two rows of purlins with windbraces below. The trusses feature two collars, with the lower one being braced and corbelled. The space is divided by two pairs of trusses, with the north end having corbels below and a floor, part of which has a brick barrel vault underneath.