Chapel at St Clare's Convent

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

Substantial multi-storeyed complex incorporating nuns’ accommodation, chapel and refectory on east side of High St. The grounds also contain a burial vault (HB16/28/054B), oratory (HB16/28/054C), school (HB16/28/054D), laundry (HB16/28/054E) and wells (HB16/28/054F).

Block 1

A three-storey block, seven openings wide, fronting the street. Known as the “new wing”.

Pitched natural slate roof with six dormers (with plain bargeboards) to street elevation. Parapeted verges with kneelers; also raised gable immediately left of coach arch. Rendered chimneys at left and right. Half-round gutters (which cut across front of dormers) and two metal down pipes to front. Painted and lined smooth rendered walls.

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 tenements at the rear (long gone). Moulded stucco architrave with moulded drip mould over. Just left of centre is a segmental-headed archway (with double-leaf t+g sheeted doors) which gives access to a separate burial ground to the rear (HB 16/28/088). At extreme left is a modern door with louvred ventilator. Between it and the coach arch is a 6/6 sliding sash window with metal bars to front; painted granite cill to this and all other windows (unless otherwise stated). Between the coach arch and the right hand door are two windows, both 2/6 top-hung and also with metal bars to front. Above the right-hand window is a plaque noting 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 of which are slightly lower than the remaining three. All are 6/6 sashes. Each of the six second floor dormers has a 6/6 sash; the left-hand window has a pair of such sashes. All have concrete cills. The top floor was added c.1935.

The left gable of this block is abutted by a lower house. The exposed section of gable is 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. Rendered chimney and plastic rainwater gutters to this elevation, the wall of which is pebble dashed. The unabutted left-hand end of this elevation (ie left of Block 5) is one opening wide, viz. 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 – see below). In front of the ground floor opening is a bell (on modern steel bracket) inscribed: “John C Wilson Founder Glasgow 1855”. To the left of these vertical openings are: to ground floor a lancet niche with statue of the Virgin Mary; to first floor a lancet niche containing a statue of St Patrick; and to 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 6/6 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 t+g door, 6/6 sash window, and ventilated opening. This passage supports a conservatory at first floor level; this has a plastic monopitched roof. Also at first floor is a small 2/2 sliding sash at left, and a large 3/ 4 sash at right. Between these two windows is a 4/4 sash illuminating the half-landing between the ground and first floors. Directly above the 4/4 sash is a 12/12 sash window, to the left and right of which is a 1/1 top-hung dormer. Also contained within the first floor conservatory is a 6/6 sash.

The right gable is abutted by Block 2.

Block 2

This is the original convent block and was formerly two storeys high. It is now a four-storey (+ basement) block, four openings wide and instepped slightly from the street façade of Block 1. Pitched natural slate roof with rendered chimney at right end. Parapeted verge at right. Three dormers to front pitch. Metal gutters and down pipe at right. Painted, line rendered walls.

At left on ground floor is a modern three-panel stained timber door with transom over. To its right are two 6/6 sliding sashes with exposed boxes and metal security bars over. Raised rendered plain architraves and painted granite cills to all windows on this block (except 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 have metal grilles over. The first floor has four regularly spaced 2/6 top-hung windows (boxes not exposed). Identical, but smaller, windows to second floor. The third floor has three dormers, all with 6/6 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 of the elevation, and that to the left end of Block 1 were clearly refurbished at the same time as their finish and detailing are identical.

Th 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; these have metal frames and are horizontally pivoted to centre The second floor has a window identical to that below. Running across the top floor (which is not abutted) are two flat-roofed dormer: that to the left contains a door out to the roof of Block 6 and 1/1 window, and that to the right has two 1/1 windows.

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

Block 3

A lower three-storey block, two openings wide, which fronts the street. Pitched natural slate roof with 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). Pained line rendered walls. At ground floor are two 6/6 sash windows, with metal grilles. Painted cills and raised plain rendered architraves to all the windows on this elevation. The first floor has two 2/6 top-hung windows. The second floor has two 2/4 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 (/054d), and at right by the four-storey wing of same. At second floor is a small 2/2 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
This is a guest accommodation block, and 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 roof line than that to north and a pitched slated parapet along its SW side (the top of which is level with the eaves line to left). Skylight to NE pitch. There are two chimneys to the higher section. Tiled verge to SE end, with metal cross finial. The walls are pebbledashed over a smooth rendered basecourse.

The principal façade faces SW. 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. There are small vents between the two floors and above the first floor openings. Block 5 abuts at extreme left.

The SE gable is blank to the ground floor. There is a pair of lancet windows (in the one opening) to the first floor. These are detailed identically to those along the SW facade.

The NE elevation is blank throughout. There is a small link passage running from the north end of this façade and the rear elevation of the right-hand section of Block 1. It has a skylit flat roof.

Block 5

A relatively modern two-storey section containing a lift shaft. Flat concrete roof, harled walls, no openings.

Block 6

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 E wall which also has a cement-rendered parapet along its entire length. A gabled ashlar granite bellcote rises from the apex of S gable. It contains a hand-operated bell and has a metal cross finial.

The principal elevation faces E. The walls are harled with a smooth painted basecourse. Plastic gutters. 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. Modern electric light 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 mound) containing and insignia of the Poor Claris 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 at the rear elevation of blocks 1 and 2; exceptionally, the right-hand window is a modern 1/1 replacement. To the right of the chapel proper are two windows to each of the three floors of this section; these are 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

Abutting the SE gable of Block 6, this three storey (+ semi-basement) section contains the chapter house (at N) and refectory (with accommodation floor over). Pitched artificial slate roof with tiled verges. Two skylights to west pitch. Half-round metal gutters and metal down pipes. Walls are unpainted smooth line cement render, with painted rendered basecourse. The main façade faces NE and is seven openings wide. The SE gable is two openings wide.

The second opening from right on the ground floor of the NE 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 SE gable has two windows (as NE 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 SW 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 NE elevation). Miscellaneous irregularly spaced window openings to all floors, some detailed as NE elevation and others with modern frames of varying design. Door 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 NW gable is abutted by Blocks 6, 9 and 10.

Block 8

A modern unpainted line rendered lift shaft abuts the S end of the E elevation of Block 6. Devoid of openings. North elevation is abutted to ground floor by Block 9.

Block 9

This small lift engine room abuts the N face of Block 8 and the S end of the E elevation of Block 6. Monopitched slate roof. Rendered walls with parapet at eaves level. Metal rainwater goods. Steps lead down to t+g painted door (with metal railings around).

Block 10

A four-storey section, the top floor of which is used by the convent, and the lower three by the school (HB 16/28/054D). 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

A two-storey building aligned NW-SE, to the west of Block 7, to which it is linked by a connecting block. Pitched artificial roof with half-round asbestos gutters; skylights to W pitch. Chimney on SW wall rises from eaves. This building is abutted to NW by an open-sided building which serves as a playground assembly area for the school. Abutting the SW 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 (HB16/28/054F) and beyond which is a burial ground and vault (HB16/28/054B) and oratory (HB16/28/054C).

Historical information

St Clare’s convent was founded in 1829 and opened the following year. It was apparently the first such establishment north of the Boyne since the Reformation. Originally the complex comprised Blocks 2, 6, 7 and 10 (as shown on the 1838 town map which cites it as “nunnery, RC chapel and National School rooms”). Block 1 originally comprised tenements which were gradually taken into convent ownership – its SW section and Block 4 by 1861, and the NE section of Block 1 in 1912 and 1921. As noted in the text, extensive alterations were carried out to Blocks 1 and 2 in the 1930s, and to Block 6 in the 1960s.

Primary sources:
1. Plaque on front of building.
2. Valuation town map, 1838 (PRONI: VAL/1D/3/8B).
3. First Valuation book, 1838 (PRONI: VAL 1B/389, p.48).
4. OS town map, 1861 (PRONI: OS9/15/2/16 + 17).
5. Second Valuation book, 1863 (PRONI: VAL 2B/3/69K, pp 242-3).
6. Valuation revision books (PRONI: VAL 12B/22/17A, p.52; /17B, p.52; /17C, pp 48 and 53).

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

A. Style
B. Proportion
C. Ornamentation
D. Plan Form
I. Quality and survival of Interior

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Y. Social, Cultural or Economic Importance
X. Local Interest

Evaluation

Substantial multi-storeyed complex incorporating nuns’ accommodation, chapel and refectory. Although the entire complex is of some architectural and historical interest, it is the chapel which is of special merit on account of its architecture, fixtures and fittings.