NHER 10725 (Building record) - Priory Farm, site of Benedictine Priory

1978. Survey.
Site of Benedictine Priory founded c.1100-1135, dissolved 1538. Prior and three monks, but in 1481 no Prior. Parish church (NHER 10756) appropriated. OS card says Priory Farm incorporates 15th century buttresses and a door.
Skulls were found north-east of the house under a lawn in 1935 and called 16th-17th century.
Visited E. Rose (NAU) 1 March 1978.

1986. Survey.
The farm has clamp irons 'SL 1719' on north gable, and there is nothing visible on exterior of building to suggest an earlier date. On south of former barn, now part of house, has four brick buttresses - obviously those meant by OS, probably 16th or 17th century. No trace of door. Present doors have millstones as doorsteps - see name Mill Hill to north. East of farmyard fine thatched weatherboarded barn, queenpost roof on arched braces. Informant [1] says double queenpost - see below. West of road some irregularities in field, probably old ponds, perhaps connected with priory (NHER 15127).
The area where the bones were found may come under site (NHER 10751) - q.v. See (S1). Slides seen of barn show that it has roof of queenposts with arched braces rising from them to collars, standing on tiebeams supported on larger, meandering braces. There are huge inverted arched braces in the walls.
Comp. E. Rose (NAU) 18 November 1986.

(S2) agrees date of 1719 is probably correct for the house and dates the barn to mid 16th century, saying it has two tiers of queenposts and was once longer.

November 2005. Brief notice when inspecting adjacent church.
The brick buttresses on the west side against the road are certainly of an unusual type of brick of uncertain date, but probably post medieval. The east projection of the house has a gable window with hoodmould. There are three millstones – two to the west, one to the east – of Paris Basin type. The weatherboarding of the timber framed barn is failing.
E. Rose (NLA), 17 November 2005.