St Mary’s Convent School was originally Battenhall Mount, an impressive house built around 1865-9 for William Spriggs, a Quaker and Worcester Clothier, in the Italianate style popularised by Prince Albert. In the 1890s the house was enlarged in a matching style by the architect John Henry Williams of Worcester for the Hon. Alfred Percy Allsopp. Allsopp was a local brewer who owned the Star Hotel and was Mayor of Worcester in 1892, 1894 and 1905. The original house is now incorporated into the South West corner of the property.
Battenhall Mount, Worcester – The gatehouse on Battenhall Avenue
The building was used as a convalescent home during the First World War. It then became the home of the Sisters of St. Marie Madeleine Postel, a Roman Catholic Teaching Order, in 1933. St. Mary’s was a popular and well-regarded independent nursery and school until its closure in 2014.
Battenhall Mount, Worcester – External of the original Italian styled building
Battenhall Mount, Worcester – The Italianate style continues inside
Battenhall Mount, Worcester – Underneath a column-supported bridge in the Italian styled original buildings
Battenhall Mount – Looking across the bridge
Battenhall Mount – Italian styled hall
Battenhall Mount – Grand fireplace
Battenhall Mount, Worcester – Fireplace in the grand music room
Battenhall Mount, Worcester – A stage at the other end of the music room
Battenhall Mount, Worcester – Bay windows and elegant ceiling
Battenhall Mount, Worcester – Grand staircase with pictures hanging on the wall
Battenhall Mount – Entrance lobby
Battenhall Mount – Top of the tower
Battenhall Mount – Wood panelled room
Battenhall Mount – Music practice room
Battenhall Mount, Worcester – Plush drawing room
Battenhall Mount, Worcester – Conference room
Battenhall Mount – Library shelves
Battenhall Mount – The library
More recent additional school buildings
Battenhall Mount, Worcester – Corridor leading to the later classrooms
Battenhall Mount, Worcester – More corridors
Battenhall Mount, Worcester – Cloak rooms
Battenhall Mount, Worcester – Science lab, just it was the day it closed
Battenhall Mount, Worcester – Science lab
Battenhall Mount – Scales in lab
Battenhall Mount – Textiles classroom
Battenhall Mount, Worcester – Arts and Crafts Classroom
Battenhall Mount, Worcester – More modern science classroom
Battenhall Mount – Classroom
Battenhall Mount – Computer room
Battenhall Mount – Food Tech Room
Battenhall Mount – Another lab
Battenhall Mount, Worcester – One of the large, older styled classrooms
Battenhall Mount, Worcester – Sinks in a bathroom
Battenhall Mount, Worcester – View from stage in the hall
Battenhall Mount, Worcester – Trampoline in the school hall
Externals of the main buildings
Battenhall Mount, Worcester – The later school buildings
Battenhall Mount – Original building
Battenhall Mount – Side entrance
Battenhall Mount – Rear elevation of the original building
Nursery
The nursery was in a separate building, set a little away from the main buildings
Battenhall Mount – Open plan foyer of the nursery
Battenhall Mount – Nursery classroom
Battenhall Mount – Tin cloakroom in the nursery
Battenhall Mount – High chairs for the really young kids
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