Chapel at St Clare's Convent, High Street, Newry, Co Down, BT34 1HB

St Clare's Convent Chapel and Associated Buildings

This substantial multi-storeyed complex on the east side of High Street incorporates nuns' accommodation, chapel and refectory. The grounds also contain a burial vault, oratory, school, laundry and wells. The main buildings comprise eleven interconnected blocks of varying dates and functions.

Block 1 (the "New Wing")

This three-storey block, seven openings wide, fronts the street. The top floor was added around 1935. The pitched natural slate roof has six dormers with plain bargeboards facing the street. Parapeted verges with kneelers and a raised gable sit immediately left of the coach arch. Rendered chimneys stand at left and right. Half-round gutters cut across the front of the dormers, with two metal downpipes to the front. The walls are painted and lined smooth render.

At ground floor right is a doorway containing a double-leaf three-panel stained timber door with two-pane transom over. This was formerly an open archway with a right of way through to rear tenements, now demolished. It has a moulded stucco architrave with moulded drip mould over. Just left of centre, a segmental-headed archway with double-leaf tongued-and-grooved sheeted doors gives access to a separate burial ground at the rear. At the extreme left is a modern door with louvred ventilator. Between this and the coach arch is a six-over-six sliding sash window with metal bars to the front and painted granite cill, as have all other windows unless otherwise stated. Between the coach arch and the right-hand door are two windows, both two-over-six top-hung and also with metal bars to the front. Above the right-hand window, a plaque notes that this was the site of a theatre opened in 1769 and the Pope's Head Inn; the convent was established in 1829.

At first floor are seven windows, the right four slightly lower than the remaining three. All are six-over-six sashes. Each of the six second floor dormers has a six-over-six sash with concrete cills; the left-hand window has a pair of such sashes.

The left gable is abutted by a lower house, with the exposed section cement rendered. The rear elevation is abutted to the left of the archway by a two-storey building (Block 4) and by Block 5 in the left corner formed by Blocks 1 and 4. This elevation has a rendered chimney and plastic rainwater gutters, with pebbledashed walls. The unabutted left-hand end is one opening wide, comprising a two-centred archway to the ground floor and a Tudor window to each of the two floors above, identical to those on the rear face of Block 2. In front of the ground floor opening hangs a bell on a modern steel bracket inscribed "John C Wilson Founder Glasgow 1855". To the left of these vertical openings are: at ground floor a lancet niche with statue of the Virgin Mary; at first floor a lancet niche containing a statue of St Patrick; and at second floor a canopied lancet niche containing a cross.

Running across the third (top) floor, as far as the archway to the graveyard, are four dormer windows, each with a six-over-six top opener. The section to the right of Block 4 is abutted by an arcaded reinforced-concrete passage running across the outside of the ground floor. This floor has, from left to right: a tongued-and-grooved door, six-over-six sash window, and ventilated opening. This passage supports a conservatory at first floor level with a plastic monopitched roof. Also at first floor are a small two-over-two sliding sash at left and a large three-over-four sash at right. Between these two windows is a four-over-four sash illuminating the half-landing between the ground and first floors. Directly above the four-over-four sash is a twelve-over-twelve sash window, flanked left and right by one-over-one top-hung dormers. Also contained within the first floor conservatory is a six-over-six sash.

The right gable is abutted by Block 2.

Block 2 (Original Convent Block)

This is the original convent block, formerly two storeys high, now a four-storey (plus basement) block, four openings wide and instepped slightly from the street façade of Block 1. The pitched natural slate roof has a rendered chimney at the right end, parapeted verge at right, and three dormers to the front pitch. Metal gutters and downpipe sit at right. The walls are painted, line rendered.

At left on the ground floor is a modern three-panel stained timber door with transom over. To its right are two six-over-six sliding sashes with exposed boxes and metal security bars over. Raised rendered plain architraves and painted granite cills feature on all windows on this block except the basement. Just above these two windows, raised letters read "Convent of Poor Clares". Directly below these windows are two basement lights: the left window has one fixed pane and the right window two fixed panes, both with metal grilles over.

The first floor has four regularly spaced two-over-six top-hung windows (boxes not exposed). Identical but smaller windows appear at second floor. The third floor has three dormers, all with six-over-six sashes, concrete cills and plain bargeboards.

The left gable is abutted by Block 1. The rear elevation is abutted to left and centre by Block 6. The exposed right-hand section is one opening wide. This elevation has plastic rainwater gutters and is pebbledashed to all floors except the bottom one, which is painted and smooth rendered. This section and that to the left end of Block 1 were clearly refurbished at the same time as their finish and detailing are identical. The ground floor has a two-centred arched opening with chamfered surround. The first floor has a Tudor-arched window opening with smooth dressed granite jambs, impost, head and cill. It contains a pair of quarry-paned lancet windows with metal frames, horizontally pivoted to centre. The second floor has an identical window. Running across the top floor (which is not abutted) are two flat-roofed dormers: that to the left contains a door out to the roof of Block 6 and one-over-one window, and that to the right has two one-over-one windows.

The right gable is abutted by a lower building (Block 3), with the exposed section cement rendered.

Block 3

This lower three-storey block, two openings wide, fronts the street. The pitched natural slate roof has a chimney at left (on party wall with Block 2) and rendered verge at right. Cast-iron trough-section gutters with downpipe at left (shared with Block 2). The walls are painted line render.

At ground floor are two six-over-six sash windows with metal grilles. Painted cills and raised plain rendered architraves feature on all windows on this elevation. The first floor has two two-over-six top-hung windows. The second floor has two two-over-four top-hung windows.

The left gable abuts Block 2. The rear elevation is abutted at left by a three-storey flat-roofed extension to the convent school and at right by the four-storey wing of same. At second floor is a small two-over-two sash window. The right gable is painted and line rendered. There is a metal-framed window at ground floor right and a small timber single-paned window at second floor right.

Block 4 (Murdock's House)

This guest accommodation block is known as Murdock's house after the name of the person from whom it was acquired in 1848. It abuts the rear of Block 1 and comprises a two-bay unit, four openings long. It has a pitched artificial slate roof and plastic gutters. The southern half has a slightly lower roofline than that to north and a pitched slated parapet along its south-west side, the top of which is level with the eaves line to left. A skylight sits on the north-east pitch. There are two chimneys to the higher section. The south-east end has a tiled verge with metal cross finial. The walls are pebbledashed over a smooth rendered basecourse.

The principal façade faces south-west. All openings have Tudor heads. There are four regularly spaced openings to the ground floor. The two at left are quarry-paned lancet windows detailed and dressed identically to those on the rear of Blocks 1 and 2. The right two windows are two-panel painted timber doors, each with two concrete steps; both doors were originally windows. There are four windows to the first floor, in line with those below. Small vents appear between the two floors and above the first floor openings. Block 5 abuts at extreme left.

The south-east gable is blank to the ground floor. There is a pair of lancet windows in one opening to the first floor, detailed identically to those along the south-west facade. The north-east elevation is blank throughout. A small link passage runs from the north end of this façade to the rear elevation of the right-hand section of Block 1. It has a skylit flat roof.

Block 5

This relatively modern two-storey section contains a lift shaft. It has a flat concrete roof, harled walls, and no openings.

Block 6 (Chapel and Priest's Room)

This block, abutting the south elevation of Block 2, comprises the priest's room, chapel and accommodation over. Until the 1960s, this block was three storeys high. The top floor was then removed and a flat concrete roof was inserted over the second storey. A harled chimney rises from middle of the east wall which also has a cement-rendered parapet along its entire length. A gabled ashlar granite bellcote rises from the apex of the south gable. It contains a hand-operated bell and has a metal cross finial.

The principal elevation faces east. The walls are harled with a smooth painted basecourse. Plastic gutters feature throughout. The chapel occupies the left three-quarters of this block and the remainder is taken up by the priest's room. Although the latter is the same height as the rest of the building, it contains three floors and basement.

A double-leaf four-panel door towards the left end leads up two granite steps into the chapel. The surround to this opening is of finely dressed granite with stepped and chamfered jambs and Tudor head. A modern electric light sits over. To the right of the right-hand jamb is a small water font. Just above the door head is a square niche with labelled drip mould containing an insignia of the Poor Clares and the words "Deus Meus et Omnia/ AD MDCCCXXX". The door is flanked to both sides by three tall windows. All have splayed, finely-dressed granite cills, post and block jambs, and pointed heads with flush keystones. Each opening contains a pair of lanced windows, each of which has two horizontally-divided panes, with traceried panes to their shared spandrel. Above each of these windows, at first floor level, is a small Tudor-headed opening, each with two windows. These are detailed as the rear elevation of Blocks 1 and 2; exceptionally, the right-hand window is a modern one-over-one replacement.

To the right of the chapel proper are two windows to each of the three floors of this section, detailed as those to the rear of Blocks 1 and 2. There are also two to the basement, which was formerly a soup kitchen; these also have lattice panes but have flat heads. Between the ground floor windows is a two-leaf folding painted timber door (up one step). Its surround is detailed as the chapel door.

The left end of this elevation is abutted by a lift shaft (Block 8) and engine room (Block 9). The south, west and north elevations are abutted by Blocks 7, 10 and 2 respectively.

Block 7 (Chapter House and Refectory)

Abutting the south-east gable of Block 6, this three-storey (plus semi-basement) section contains the chapter house at north and refectory with accommodation floor over. The pitched artificial slate roof has tiled verges. Two skylights sit on the west pitch. Half-round metal gutters and metal downpipes feature throughout. Walls are unpainted smooth line cement render, with painted rendered basecourse.

The main façade faces north-east and is seven openings wide. The south-east gable is two openings wide. The second opening from right on the ground floor of the north-east façade contains two two-panel painted doors with plain transom over leading into the chapter house. To its right is a window. To the left of the doorway are five openings lighting the refectory. To the first and second floors are seven regularly spaced windows in line with those below; the top set are diminished in height. All the windows have plain rendered surrounds, unpainted concrete cills and contain a pair of horizontally-pivoted quarry-paned metal windows, except third from left at ground floor, where one of the pair has been replaced with an extractor fan set into a casement window. At semi-basement level (at left) are three segmental-headed openings each containing modern casements.

The south-east gable has two windows (as north-east façade) to the ground, first and second floors; the last are diminished in height. One of the windows has a replacement casement and extractor fan. The semi-basement has two segmental-headed windows with modern casements.

The south-west façade is unpainted and line rendered. Two rendered chimneys rise from the eaves at right. At ground floor left is a glazed timber door, to the left of which is a window detailed as north-east elevation. Miscellaneous irregularly spaced window openings feature on all floors, some detailed as north-east elevation and others with modern frames of varying design. A door sits at left. The ground floor is abutted at right by a link to Block 11. This link has a pitched artificial slate roof and harled walls and is of no interest.

The north-west gable is abutted by Blocks 6, 9 and 10.

Block 8

This modern unpainted line rendered lift shaft abuts the south end of the east elevation of Block 6. It is devoid of openings. The north elevation is abutted to ground floor by Block 9.

Block 9

This small lift engine room abuts the north face of Block 8 and the south end of the east elevation of Block 6. It has a monopitched slate roof. Rendered walls with parapet at eaves level. Metal rainwater goods feature throughout. Steps lead down to a tongued-and-grooved painted door with metal railings around.

Block 10

This four-storey section has the top floor used by the convent and the lower three by the school. It has a pitched natural slate roof and painted and lined walls. The top floor is a 1960s addition and is lit by eight modern casements.

Block 11

This two-storey building is aligned north-west to south-east, to the west of Block 7, to which it is linked by a connecting block. It has a pitched artificial roof with half-round asbestos gutters and skylights to west pitch. A chimney on the south-west wall rises from the eaves. This building is abutted to north-west by an open-sided building which serves as a playground assembly area for the school. Abutting the south-west elevation of Block 11 are miscellaneous modern one-storey buildings of no interest.

Setting

The First Presbyterian Church graveyard occupies much of the ground immediately behind Block 4. It is demarcated from the convent by a tall harled wall which contains four arched niches on the convent side. Beyond Block 7, a path leads through a Tudor-headed archway embellished with hood moulded niches and incised crosses into a large garden containing several wells. Beyond this lies a burial ground and vault and oratory.