Survey Data

Reg No

22902135


Rating

Regional


Categories of Special Interest

Architectural, Historical, Social


Original Use

Building misc


In Use As

Building misc


Date

1830 - 1835


Coordinates

209781, 103946


Date Recorded

05/01/2004


Date Updated

--/--/--


Description

Attached five-bay two-storey seminary, established 1834, originally detached retaining original fenestration with three-bay two-storey side elevations. Extended, 1910, comprising three-bay two-storey recessed flanking block to left (west) extending into nine-bay two-storey return to north with twenty-bay two-storey perpendicular wing to left (west). Renovated, c.1985, with single-bay single-storey projecting glazed porch added to centre of original block. Hipped slate roof to original block (hipped roof to wing extending into pitched slate roofs on an L-shaped plan; hipped roof to porch) with clay and rolled lead ridge tiles, rendered chimney stacks, and cast-iron rainwater goods (on moulded rendered eaves to original block). Painted rendered, ruled and lined walls to front (south) elevation with rendered quoins to ends, wall-mounted cast-iron post box, c.1910, and unpainted rendered, ruled and lined walls to remainder. Square-headed window openings (some in bipartite arrangement to wing) with cut-stone sills, moulded rendered surrounds to original block, and rendered surrounds to wing. 6/6 timber sash windows with 1/1 timber sash windows to bipartite openings. Square-headed openings to porch with timber panelled double doors, overlight, and fixed-pane timber flanking lights. Elliptical-headed door opening to seminary with replacement glazed timber double doors, c.1985, sidelights, and overlight. Round-headed door opening to flanking block with three cut-limestone steps, timber panelled door, and overlight. Interior with timber panelled shutters to window openings. Set back from road in own grounds with tarmacadam forecourt.

Appraisal

A well-composed seminary of two distinct periods of construction, which retains most of its original character together with important salient features and materials, both to the exterior and to the interior. The seminary is of particular importance as the earliest component of a Cistercian complex established in the locality by monks evicted from Melleray in France. Although overshadowed by the later abbey (22902134/WD-21-34), the seminary remains an appealing feature of modest appearance in the landscape.