St Joseph's Convent

Originally, the site was intended to be a hospital. On the first stone that was laid in September 1772, the engraving describes the building as "a general hospital, for the relief of the sick poor." That foundation stone was laid by Frederick North, Lord North, the British Prime Minister at the time. In 1774, the building work stopped when funds ran out, and shortly after it was sold to recover the debts incurred from building it. The nuns had left Bruges in Belgium, and arrived in England in 1794 to avoid persecution during the French Revolution. They initially settled in Winchester, but the buildings they utilised there were not suitable for their permanent use, and in October 1806, they…

The main building is a symmetrical three-storey house built of red brick, with a yellow brick central range which was added later. The building has a cornice and parapet, and a bowed end which projects to the east. On the south side, there is an additional attic storey. The house retains its original sash windows, and on the first floor some of the windows have wrought-iron balconettes. An addition to the building has been made in the south-west, including an arcade on the ground floor, and a bell tower. Further additions were made to the main building in the 19th century, including a Gothic chapel of red brick with ashlar dressings to the north. There are later buildings on either side of…