Convent Of Poor Clares

SO 8201-8301 WOODCHESTER CONVENT LANE (east side) 18/215 Convent of Poor Clares

II

Formerly Franciscan Convent, now Convent of Poor Clares. Early- mid C17 house at core with c1850 enlargement; convent buildings 1861-69 by Charles Hansom; c1870 guest house by Canon Scoles. Coursed rubble limestone with ashlar dressings; ashlar chimneys and chapel vents; stone slate to chapel, plain concrete tile roofs otherwise. Chapel at south east end on upper floor above library and work rooms; main 3-storey convent block linking with 2-storey and attic house; guest house at north west end. Chapel: boldly buttressed walls on south east end and north east side, paired lancets to ground floor, 3-light pointed arched windows with trefoil tracery to chapel above. Rose window to south east gable end. Ante-chapel on south west side with attached stair hall has Hansom's characteristic spherical triangular window in gable. Large sacristy block runs to left with catslide to main chapel roof. Small gabled projections at north west end to side walls indicating position of choir gallery. Ridge-mounted fleche; chimney-like gable and ridge-mounted stone vents with slits and coped top. Main convent block: long block with central gabled side projections and 6 other side gables. Mixed mullioned and transomed and 2-light mullioned fenestration on south west side; more elaborate on north east with triple lancets to ground floor, paired 2-light mullioned casements to upper, and small attic lights in gables. Central porch on north east side has 2 pointed arches to ground floor. Timber clock turret at north west end of range with shaped louvres and pyramidal top. House: extensively altered in C19; 2 gables to south west side with scattered 2-light mullioned fenestration and indications of many altered openings with relieving arches. c1850 addition of one gable on north east side with canted 2-storey bay window and C19 pointed headed mullioned and transomed fenestration. Guest house: 2-storey porch with pointed arch; mullioned and transomed fenestration. Interior of chapel: 5-bay panelled vaulted roof with arched trusses on corbels. Broad pointed sanctuary arch with triple attached columns and carved foliage capitals. Sanctuary has 1888 decoration by William Park of Preston. Finely carved reredos by R.J. Boulton has Saints in hooded niches and tabernacle. Attached marble columns to altar front with Nativity scene in relief. Two- bay arcade to ante-chapel having timber gallery. Stained glass by Warrington and Company. Formerly attached orphanage wing on south west side now demolished. The whole range appears especially impressive when viewed from opposite side of valley. (W.J. Sheils, 'Woodchester' in V.C.H. Glos. xi, 1976, pp. 294-304; and D. Verey, Gloucestershire; The Cotswolds, 1979.)

Listing NGR: SO8389701396