A QUIRKY cottage in the grounds of an Oxfordshire convent has been given one of the highest protections for historic buildings in the country.

White Lodge at St Mary's Convent in Wantage was this week slapped with the prestigious Grade II* listed status.

A building is listed when it is of 'special architectural or historic interest' considered to be of national importance.

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The Grade II*-status is reserved for 'particularly important buildings of more than special interest' and is held by just 5.8 per cent of listed buildings.

White Lodge was designed by the renowned architect M H Baillie Scott and built in 1897.

Explaining its decision to give the building one of the highest protections in the country, Historic England said: "This high quality building retains many of its original, handcrafted Arts and Crafts fittings including beaten copper fire hoods and fire ornaments in the drawing room, dining room and study, finger plates to many of the doors, and stained glass panels.

Herald Series:

"It was created at a turning point in Baillie Scott’s career and is a key example of English ‘vernacular revival’ architecture which attracted international interest."

White Lodge joins other listed buildings on the convent site, including the main convent building by GE Street, JL Pearson and W Butterfield (Grade II) and the chapel by JL Pearson and Ninian Comper (Grade II*).

The Wantage lodge was the only Oxfordshire building included among 500 national additions to the listed register yesterday.

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Among the others was the London filming location for Monty Python’s infamous Mr Creosote sketch (The Porchester Centre in Bayswater), the Elizabethan Curtain playhouse in Shoreditch and the shipwreck of the SS Faith on the Isle of Wight.

Heritage Minister Helen Whately said: “England is home to many historic, iconic, and sometimes quirky sites.

"Protecting our heritage is of huge importance so future generations can better understand all the things that have made this nation great.

"I'm delighted that such a diverse range of important and interesting places were protected by Historic England in 2019.”

Oxfordshire's other listed buildings include Blenheim Palace and most of the Oxford University colleges.