Watford: Former Convent of St Vincent in Percy Road

Image: © Nigel Cox Taken: 17 Jan 2015

The Convent was built between 1890 and 1892, next door to Image It is Grade II Listed and the English Heritage website describes it thus:- "Purple brick with red brick dressings. Neo-late C17 style. Two storey and attic. Tiled hipped roof with 8 pedimented dormers. Wood modillion cornice at eaves. Irregularly spaced windows, glazing bar sashes in gauged brick headed surrounds. Apron panels below 1st floor windows. Projecting brick angle quoins at outer corners and separating 1st 3 window section from main 9 window block. Brick string between floors. Stuccoed main doorway set to right. Ionic half-columns and entablature, with small open pedimented niche above containing statue." A photograph of the building when nearly new around 1895 is available here http://www.holyroodrc.com/history/schools.html and, as can be seen, as originally built it only extended for the first five dormer windows. The satellite dish was probably not present during its convent days, and not worthy of a mention by English Heritage. The photograph was taken during a brief snow shower that fell on Watford during the morning of 17 January 2015.

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