History in Structure

Purbeck House (Convent of Our Lady of Mercy)

A Grade II Listed Building in Swanage, Dorset

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Coordinates

Latitude: 50.6082 / 50°36'29"N

Longitude: -1.9601 / 1°57'36"W

OS Eastings: 402918

OS Northings: 78719

OS Grid: SZ029787

Mapcode National: GBR 459.WSK

Mapcode Global: FRA 67SG.G5V

Plus Code: 9C2WJ25Q+7X

Entry Name: Purbeck House (Convent of Our Lady of Mercy)

Listing Date: 21 March 1983

Grade: II

Source: Historic England

Source ID: 1152595

English Heritage Legacy ID: 108207

ID on this website: 101152595

Location: Swanage, Dorset, BH19

County: Dorset

Civil Parish: Swanage

Built-Up Area: Swanage

Traditional County: Dorset

Lieutenancy Area (Ceremonial County): Dorset

Church of England Parish: Swanage St Mary the Virgin

Church of England Diocese: Salisbury

Tagged with: Architectural structure

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Description


HIGH STREET
1.
5190
(south side)
No 91 (Purbeck House)
SZ 0278 NE 5/81 (Convent of Our Lady of Mercy)
II

2.
Built 1875, replacing an 18th century house on the site. Architect: G Crickmay.
Built for George Burt, nephew and successor of John Mowlem, as his own house. An
imposing house in a "baronial" style, asymetrical in design, of stone, with tiled
roof. The main facade has 2 storeys, plus attics and basement, raised above pavement
level on a paved terrace with stone parapet walls. Crow-stepped gables at each end
of the facade, Projecting granite porch, large square bay window west of this, and
west again a projecting square tower, continuing above roof line as an octagon,
finished with battlements. The main elevations are faced with granite fragments left
over from the base of the Albert Memorial, London, which Burt was building at the time.
Various other fragments from London buildings incorporated in the house, and a number
of stone and terracotta plaques of classical design, from the Exhibition of 1851.
Part of the terrace paved with decorated encaustic tiles from the Houses of Parliament.
Windows mainly sashes in stone surrounds. Gabled dormers to attic. Single-storey former
billiard room - now Chapel - the east of the main house, with lead roof and walls partly
of stone, partly of terracotta tiles. Modern extension to Chapel in stone with a
copper roof.

Interior retains some original features. Mosaic pavement in entrance hall copied
by Burt from a Roman pavement discovered during excavations at the Mansion House,
London, in 1869 and now in the Museum of London. Two of the ground floor rooms retain
moulded and painted ceiling decoration and fireplaces of Carrara marble designed by
Crickmay. Purbeck Stone walls to garden at rear of house.


Listing NGR: SZ0291878719

External Links

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