Description

YORK

SE5951SE BLOSSOM STREET
1112-1/20/63 (South East side)
14/06/54 The Bar Convent and railings
attached to front
(Formerly Listed as:
BLOSSOM STREET
Nos.15, 17 AND 19
(The Bar Convent))

GV I

Convent and school of The Institute of the Blessed Virgin
Mary; now convent and museum. Entrance range of 1786-9,
fronting earlier buildings of which the Chapel block of 1766-9
remains relatively unaltered; 1790-3 outer range on north side
of Court added; 1834-5 inner range on north side of Court and
range north of the Chapel block added; 1844-6 Chapel block
altered and Schoolroom block on corner of Nunnery Lane added.
The Court was roofed c1865 and other alterations made later in
C19. Parts of the building were damaged during the Second
World War and some alterations were made during conversion for
museum use c1985. C18 buildings by Thomas Atkinson; work of
the 1830s by JB and W Atkinson, of 1840s and later by GT
Andrews.
MATERIALS: entrance range of red-brown brick in Flemish bond
with window arches of orange brick; plinth, dressings and
cornice of painted stone. 1834 range of buff brick in Flemish
bond with timber bracketed eaves guttering. Schoolroom block
of orange-brown brick, Blossom Street front in Flemish bond,
Nunnery Lane front in English garden-wall bond; window arches
are of orange brick; plinth and giant order with entablature
on Blossom Street front of ashlar. All roofs are hipped and
slated and have brick stacks except for lead roof to clock
tower and glass roof to Court. Stone gable cross.
EXTERIOR: entrance range: 3 storeys and attic; 7-bay front; 3
centre bays are pedimented and break forward slightly. Ground
and first floors in centre are treated as centrepiece and set
in 2-storey round-arched recess: moulded stone steps lead up
to 6-panel door in rusticated surround, with plain fanlight
behind decorative iron grille. Detached doorcase is of paired
fluted Doric columns supporting mutule cornice and pediment.
Window above is 12-pane sash in shouldered surround with
balustrade below window and moulded cornice above. All other
windows on ground, first and second floors are 12-pane sashes,
those on second floor squatter. On ground and first floors
they have sill band, on second floor painted stone sills: all
have flat arches of rubbed brick. Broad raised bands to first
floor and attic. Moulded cornice and pediment are modillioned
and pediment has clock face in tympanum. Plain attic has 6
squat 3-pane windows. Railings braced to ground floor and
forming gates across porch are of square section with tapered

finials.
Rear: 3-storey 3-bay pent-roofed extension. Square clock tower
in centre rises above roof and is crowned with ogee-roofed
open cupola of timber columns.
Schoolroom block: 2-storey 3-bay front articulated by attached
giant order pilasters, raised on high podium, carrying
pedimented entablature. Windows are 12-pane sashes on both
floors, squatter on first floor. On ground floor, moulded sill
band forms coping to podium: on first floor, sills extend full
width of each bay. All windows have flat arches of rubbed
brick. Left return: 3 storeys with scattered fenestration.
Chamfered stone plinth and entablature are returned from
Blossom Street front. Curved corner bay has inserted
round-arched doorway with moulded imposts beneath keyed
hoodmould and curved door of 6 moulded panels. Further left,
two 4-panel door approached by steps break plinth. Windows are
sashes, two of 12 panes, one of 16 panes, one 4 panes, all
with stone sills; all except 4-pane window have segmental
brick arches.
Chapel block from garden: 2 storeys and attics; 5-bay front,
right end masked by extensions housing the Lady Chapel and a
staircase. Ground floor has two square-headed windows each of
4 round-headed 'Gothick' lights; first floor has three
inserted lunette windows with central pivoting lights.
4-course raised brick first floor band. Lady Chapel extension
has one round-arched small-pane light. Attic windows are two
box dormers and one flat skylight.
INTERIOR: entrance range. Ground floor: Portress' Room to left
has a sleeping alcove at the rear. Great Parlour to right has
original marble fireplace flanked by round headed alcoves.
Schoolroom block: main rooms on both floors have one apsidal
end. Ground floor room has divided ceiling formed by cased
corniced beams with gaslight connection in circular surround
in each ceiling bay.
Court: decorative tiled floor: glazed roof carried on iron
trusses supported on cast-iron columns. Clock by Henry
Hindley, before 1770, connected c1790 to pediment clock on
Blossom Street front.
Chapel block: from ground floor, stone staircase with square
section iron balusters and moulded handrail wreathed at the
foot rises to chapel on first floor. Chapel has domed
sanctuary, north and south transepts and 3-bay nave. Sanctuary
is domed Ionic rotunda composed of 8 detached fluted columns
supporting entablature with frieze enriched with vine leaf
festoons, urns and posies. Dome is divided by eight ribs into
bays each enclosing a garland of fruit and foliage of varying
kinds, and surmounted by painted glass lantern. Transepts lead
from rotunda through openings flanked by panelled pilasters
with foliate corbels at the head.
Beneath north transept is a square cavity said to be a
Priest's hole. South transept opens into Lady Chapel lit by
small dome and cupola. Nave has round-headed recesses in north
and south walls, those to south glazed as lunettes. West end

organ gallery with wrought-iron balustrade is carried on four
round arches springing from slender columns with foliate
capitals and recessed spandrels. 'Gothick' panelled double
doors at west end. Ceiling is coved above bold cornice
returned from organ gallery.
Fittings: altar of 1969 re-using scrolled legs with winged
cherub heads and pelican in piety from C18 original; C20
reredos surmounted by C18 carved figures of Saints Jerome,
Ambrose, Augustine and Gregory supporting Spanish ivory
crucifix.
(RCHME: City of York: South-west of the Ouse: HMSO: 1972-:
40-7).

Listing NGR: SE5978451382

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Bar Convent at Wikipedia
• Bar Convent official website
• Wikidata Q4857921

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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