Rosminian House Gate Detail

The picture is of a stone carving which is situated over the gate of Rosminian House in Clifford. It can be seen in context here.

I spotted it yesterday even though I have walked past it hundreds of times with the dog(s)! It's amazing how already I feel I am looking for things to photograph every day. Anyway with the sun out this morning I thought it would make the relief stand out more.

The current owner was in the garden and stopped to tell me about it. The building was originally built for the vicar of St Luke's church, as a hostel for women. When the vicar converted to Catholicism, it was tuned into a convent for the Rosminian Sisters (hence the name of the house). It went on to become a convent school which survived until 1997. She said she has spoken to some former pupils who had nothing but bad words about the nuns and said the school was a horrible place.