Convent Of Poor Clares

The Convent of Poor Clares comprises a complex of buildings with a core dating to the early to mid-17th century, significantly enlarged in the 19th century. The convent buildings themselves were constructed between 1861 and 1869 by Charles Hansom, with a guest house added around 1870 by Canon Scoles. The materials are largely coursed rubble limestone with ashlar dressings, and stone slate to the chapel roof, while other roofs are of plain concrete tile. Ashlar chimneys and decorative vents accent the structure.

The layout includes a chapel located at the south-east end, situated above a library and work rooms. This is linked to a main three-storey convent block, which connects to a two-storey house with an attic. A guest house is situated at the north-west end. The chapel's south-east and north-east walls are boldly buttressed, with paired lancet windows on the ground floor and three-light pointed arched windows with trefoil tracery above. A rose window is present in the south-east gable. An ante-chapel on the south-west side features a spherical triangular window, a characteristic design element of Hansom's work. A sacristy block extends to the left, with a catslide roof that slopes down to the main chapel roof. Small gabled projections indicate the former location of a choir gallery. A fleche rises from the roof, along with chimney-like gables and decorative stone vents with slits and coped tops.

The main convent block is a long structure with central gabled side projections and six other side gables. The south-west side has a mix of mullioned, transomed, and two-light mullioned windows, while the north-east side exhibits more elaborate detailing with triple lancets on the ground floor and paired two-light mullioned casements above, with small attic lights in the gables. A central porch on the north-east side includes two pointed arches on the ground floor. A timber clock turret is located at the north-west end, featuring shaped louvres and a pyramidal top.

The 17th-century house has been extensively altered within a 19th-century scheme, displaying two gables to its south-west side and numerous altered openings with relieving arches. A c.1850 addition includes a gable with a canted two-story bay window, and pointed-headed mullioned and transomed windows from the 19th century. The guest house features a two-story porch with a pointed arch and mullioned, transomed windows.

The chapel’s interior boasts a five-bay panelled vaulted roof with arched trusses resting on corbels. A broad pointed sanctuary arch is supported by triple attached columns with carved foliage capitals. The sanctuary displays decoration from 1888 by William Park of Preston. A finely carved reredos by R.J. Boulton features saints in hooded niches and a tabernacle, accompanied by attached marble columns with a Nativity scene in relief. The ante-chapel has a two-bay arcade with a timber gallery. Stained glass windows are the work of Warrington and Company. A former orphanage wing, originally attached to the south-west side, has been demolished. The entire complex is particularly striking when viewed from across the valley.