St Joseph's College

Detached former country house, built c.1820, comprising five-bay two-storey over half basement central block, with four-bay two-storey flanking wings terminating in two-bay two-storey gable-fronted advanced bays with recent conservatory extensions and additional double-pile five-bay two-storey flanking wings c.1930. Hipped and pitched slate and artificial slate roofs with rendered chimneystacks, rendered parapet wall to central block having shaped central section and cast-iron rainwater goods. Roughcast rendered walls with raised render eaves, continuous sill and plinth courses. Camber- and square-headed window openings with stone sills and replacement uPVC windows. Round-headed window opening to north elevation with uPVC window. Square-headed door opening to garden (south) elevation with half-glazed timber door set in open rendered porch with cornice and accessed via cut limestone steps. Round-headed door opening to north elevation with stucco surround having rusticated keystone, timber panelled door and timber spoked fanlight. Segmental-arched opening to north elevation flanked by fluted pilasters on rusticated plinths with stucco archivolt having keystone with statue niche and render scroll, now blocked to create window. Set within its own grounds.

This substantial early nineteenth-century house is pleasantly located with open grassed grounds to the south. The building has been extended over time with the addition of flanking wings, but has been done so in an manner which balances the appearance of the building. It displays fine stucco detailing to the north elevation which adds artistic interest to the building. Like many such large former country houses it has had a number of uses and from the late nineteenth century functioned as St Joseph's College which was a house of formation for students of the Society of African Missions (SMA) preparing for priesthood in Africa. It is now a retirement house for missionaries as well as a house of mission animation. It forms part of a group of related structures with the church and associated graveyard.