Presentation Of St Mary Convent School

School, formerly the house of the Archdeacon of Exeter. Mid to late 15th century, with 16th century north-east service wing and various 19th century additions and alterations, principally around 1830, when older ranges were remodelled and the 15th century building extended by a parallel range to the front; 1928 extension including chapel. Rendered over local stone rubble, with the 1928 range of brick with stone dressings; 19th century brick stacks to slate roofs.

The plan is L-shaped, with the main block on a roughly north-east to south-west axis and the 16th century wing projecting to the north-west (left of front). The 15th century roof lies in the central range of the main block, facing south-east onto the rear garden, with an around-1830s parallel addition facing onto the front (north-west), making a double-depth plan. At right angles to the right (south-west) of the front is a late 19th century wing which abuts a mid-19th century range, roofed parallel to the main block and facing onto the rear garden. The 1928 range includes an upper-floor chapel to the left (north-east) of the front, with an early to mid-19th century block separating this from the 16th century wing.

The exterior consists of a two-storey central block with an early 19th century addition having a three-window parapetted front facing north-west towards Palace Gate. There are 3/6-pane first-floor sashes over 6/6-pane sashes to the right and semi-circular arched glazing bar sashes to the left of an open-pedimented doorcase with panelled reveals and door. A taller late 19th century gabled bay to the right has plate-glass sashes and stone mullions to a canted bay. Similar early 19th century sashes appear on a bay to the left of the central range.

The projecting 16th century wing is of one storey and attic with a three-window front, remodelled around 1830. It has 3/6-pane sashes to half dormers, an 8/8-pane sash in wooden architrave to the first-floor left above a 6/6-pane sash, and an adjoining flush-panelled door with overlight in similar architrave. Half dormers are roughly set over tripartite early 19th century sashes to the right, flanking a panelled door set in a heavy doorcase with bracketed canopy.

The rear garden front has a two-storey three-window central range with 19th century glazing bar sashes, a bowed oriel with 20th century glazing to the left, and a semi-circular arched doorway with Gothic smith tracery to half-glazed double doors. A mid-19th century two-storey range to the left (south-west) has two full-height canted bays with horned plate-glass sashes. A tall 1928 addition to the right (north-east) includes a projecting three-storey porch with alternate stone voussoirs to the arch and semi-circular arched windows to the chapel with deep ashlar impost band and canted sanctuary end.

The interior includes an early 19th century staircase, joinery including panelled doors and shutters, marble fireplaces and decorative cornicing, and a 16th century roof to the north-west service wing.

The principal feature of the building is the exceptionally fine mid to late 15th century six-bay side-purlin roof, designed as a series of variant base-cruck trusses with intermediate trusses. It has richly moulded detail below tie-beam level, with evidence for bosses at the junction of intermediate trusses, purlins and windbraces, and for carved decoration on cusp terminals. Main trusses have arch braces set under the tie beam, which rests on massive square-set arcade plates and is supported by a straight blade set into a projecting sole plate. More slender A-frame trusses above the tie beam have curving arch braces. Spandrels created between the wall plate, lower blade and arch brace, and between the lower blade, tie beam and arch brace, are infilled with boards pierced with decorative cinquefoil-headed mouchettes. Much slighter intermediate trusses are each fixed to an ashlar post and the underside of a common rafter couple. At the bottom they are cusped and widened to clasp the underside of the arcade plate, where it is joined to an upper curving brace to the upper common rafter A-frame. Some original common rafters survive; the north-east bay (to the right of front) has the seating for a smoke louvre or lantern.

This is one of the finest 15th century roofs in south-west England, of national importance and distinguished by its base-cruck form, upper roof construction and the quality of its moulded and carved detail. The carved detail bears strong similarities to a local group of high-class late medieval roofs, including the Deanery and the Law Library in the Cathedral Close.