Convent of Mercy — Spy Hill

Detached six-bay four-storey convent and school, built c. 1860, comprising gablets to front (east) elevation, oriel windows to first floor, recessed entrance blocks to north and south elevations and two-bay two-storey extension to south. Six-bay chapel to north elevation with gablet having projecting eight-bay single-storey block to ground floor with gable-fronted porch. Pitched slate roof with rendered chimneystacks and flat roofs to entrance blocks. Rendered walls. Pointed arch openings to third floor and entrance block, first floor, having one-over-one pane timber sliding sash windows throughout. Square-headed window openings to second floor and oriel windows. Square-headed openings to ground floor with three-over-six pane timber sliding sash windows, ornate spear-headed cast-iron sill guards and painted sills. Pointed arch openings to entrance blocks having spoked fanlights over timber panelled doors with flanking fluted pilasters. Flight of limestone stairs to entrances having cast-iron railings. Chapel comprising pitched slate roof having wrought-iron finial to gablet and render bracketed eaves course. Pitched fish scale slate roof with cast-iron ridge crestings, cross finial and timber bargeboards having trefoil and quatrefoil motifs to porch. Rendered walls with render plinth course and ashlar limestone buttresses to ground floor. Pointed arch openings having stained glass windows and render hood mouldings. Pointed arch openings to ground floor with square-headed limestone surrounds and one-over-one pane fixed windows. Stained glass oculus to gablet over pointed arch opening having limestone hood moulding, surround, tracery and stained glass windows. Square-headed stained glass windows to porch having render risers with recessed panels. Square-headed opening to porch having timber panelled door with stained glass panels. Square-headed opening with shouldered limestone surround having timber panelled door to chapel, ground floor.