Purbeck House (Convent of Our Lady of Mercy)
PURBECK HOUSE (CONVENT OF OUR LADY OF MERCY), 91, HIGH STREET
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1152595
- Date first listed:
- 21-Mar-1983
- List Entry Name:
- Purbeck House (Convent of Our Lady of Mercy)
- Statutory Address:
- PURBECK HOUSE (CONVENT OF OUR LADY OF MERCY), 91, HIGH STREET
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2007-09-29
- Reference:
- IOE01/17007/09
- Rights:
- © Rev Andrew Salmon. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1152595
- Date first listed:
- 21-Mar-1983
- List Entry Name:
- Purbeck House (Convent of Our Lady of Mercy)
- Statutory Address 1:
- PURBECK HOUSE (CONVENT OF OUR LADY OF MERCY), 91, HIGH STREET
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- PURBECK HOUSE (CONVENT OF OUR LADY OF MERCY), 91, HIGH STREET
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Dorset (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Swanage
- National Grid Reference:
- SZ 02918 78719
Details
HIGH STREET 1. 5190 (south side) No 91 (Purbeck House) SZ 0278 NE 5/81 (Convent of Our Lady of Mercy) II
2. Built 1875, replacing an 18th century house on the site. Architect: G Crickmay. Built for George Burt, nephew and successor of John Mowlem, as his own house. An imposing house in a "baronial" style, asymetrical in design, of stone, with tiled roof. The main facade has 2 storeys, plus attics and basement, raised above pavement level on a paved terrace with stone parapet walls. Crow-stepped gables at each end of the facade, Projecting granite porch, large square bay window west of this, and west again a projecting square tower, continuing above roof line as an octagon, finished with battlements. The main elevations are faced with granite fragments left over from the base of the Albert Memorial, London, which Burt was building at the time. Various other fragments from London buildings incorporated in the house, and a number of stone and terracotta plaques of classical design, from the Exhibition of 1851. Part of the terrace paved with decorated encaustic tiles from the Houses of Parliament. Windows mainly sashes in stone surrounds. Gabled dormers to attic. Single-storey former billiard room - now Chapel - the east of the main house, with lead roof and walls partly of stone, partly of terracotta tiles. Modern extension to Chapel in stone with a copper roof. Interior retains some original features. Mosaic pavement in entrance hall copied by Burt from a Roman pavement discovered during excavations at the Mansion House, London, in 1869 and now in the Museum of London. Two of the ground floor rooms retain moulded and painted ceiling decoration and fireplaces of Carrara marble designed by Crickmay. Purbeck Stone walls to garden at rear of house.
Listing NGR: SZ0291878719
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 108207
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 10-Jun-2026 at 18:05:41.
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