Built in the seventeenth Century as the private residence of a wealthy landowner the monastery was originally known as Windhill House. Much of the original architecture remains on the outside, although much has changed within. In the eighteenth century a refurbishment saw many of the original walls plastered over, but a magnificent Jacobean staircase and exquisite dining room are just a few of the remaining attractions. The building was bought by the Catholic Church and used as a monastery for the best part of the twentieth century. The last nun’s left in 1989 and in 1994 the building was sold; it now houses much of the town councils offices and the local tourist information bureau.