Convent of Poor Clares
CONVENT OF POOR CLARES, CONVENT LANE
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1172112
- Date first listed:
- 24-Feb-1987
- List Entry Name:
- Convent of Poor Clares
- Statutory Address:
- CONVENT OF POOR CLARES, CONVENT LANE
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Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2002-07-04
- Reference:
- IOE01/05966/33
- Rights:
- © Mr Derrick Whitmore. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1172112
- Date first listed:
- 24-Feb-1987
- List Entry Name:
- Convent of Poor Clares
- Statutory Address 1:
- CONVENT OF POOR CLARES, CONVENT LANE
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:
- CONVENT OF POOR CLARES, CONVENT LANE
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- County:
- Gloucestershire
- District:
- Stroud (District Authority)
- Parish:
- Woodchester
- National Grid Reference:
- SO 83897 01396
Details
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
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 132090
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Verey, D, The Buildings of England: Gloucestershire 1 The Cotswolds, (1970)
Page, W, The Victoria History of the County of Gloucester, (1976), 294-304
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 07-Jun-2026 at 02:08:05.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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