The Abbey, Storrington
St Joseph's Abbey (The Abbey), Storrington at Storrington in Sussex, England, was originally a rectory, later a small country house and then a convent school.
It is an irregular five bay, two and three storey house built in 1871-2 by the Rev. George Faithfull in the Victorian Gothic style, reusing material from the 1621 rectory which was demolished at this time.[1] In the 1880s it was the residence of Colonel Walter George Stirling, a baronet who had a pedigree herd of Jersey cattle.[2][3] Successive tenants altered the house; in 1911 (semi-timbered work) and 1930 (brick range) when Colonel H. V. Ravenscroft added a billiard room and ballroom designed by John Leopold Denman.[1]
In 1953 the house became a Dominican convent and boarding school. The school closed in 1999.[4] Inside, the oldest part of the building has the former Dining Room (now Chapel) with good quality 19th- century linenfold panelling and frieze, plastered ceiling with strapwork ribs and stained glass windows. The Drawing Room has early 18th-century panelling and a fireplace with engaged columns; and the former Library (currently Meeting Room) has a 16th-century stone fireplace. There is an elaborate oak main staircase with turned balusters and a painted well staircase with turned balusters and chamfered square newel posts with ball finials.
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Abbey Convent, Storrington". British Listed Buildings. 17 February 2000. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
- ^ The English Jersey Cattle Society's herd book, Volume 5. 1891. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
- ^ Kelly's Directories, ltd (1885). Kelly's Directory of Bedfordshire, Hunts., and Northamptonshire. Kelly. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
- ^ "St Joseph's Dominican School". Schooletc.co.uk. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
External links
[edit]- Historic England. "Details from listed building database (1380132)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 22 April 2015.