Norfolk Heritage Explorer

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1951. Listed Grade II*.
Monastic range belonging to the Benedictine Priory of St Margaret. This dates from the 14th century, but the main work of the 15th century is possibly associated with accounts of a new hall 1445-48. Altered in the 18th century, restored and divided into six dwellings 1974-5. Brick, ashlar and carstone. Plain tiled roof. Two storeys. To right of elevation is a rebuilt stone arch to rear with hollow and wave mouldings. Fenestration somewhat irregulaly disposed and mostly renewed cross casements. One to east end at first floor is set within a four-centred recess. Hall firestack corbelled out at first-floor level to right of archway with, to its right, a trefoil cusped two-light window. Three other stone single-light windows evident elsewhere. Under hall stack is a blocked timber doorway. Seven other blocked doorways at intervals. Gabled roof with eight stacks on or just off ridge line. To west end is a lower, hipped, two-storey pantiled attachment of late 17th century. One window to each floor with glazing bars. Single-storey extension has a door and a lap-glazed window to its right. Rear (north) elevation. Archway becomes more depressed than four-centred. One 17th century door to its right with an overlight. Various renewed or restored ashlar lancets. No. 18 has a large depressed arch to ground floor, filled with a window and a door. Above are two four-centred recesses. First floor of No. 17 has two two-light cusped windows to former hall with a single cusped window to their right. No. 19 with one two-light and one four-light transomed window with chamfered stone mullions.
Interior: Only partly inspected. First-floor hall plan is probably an alteration to original open hall arrangement. Fireplaces all large and open, not earlier than 16th century. At the east end the internal ground-floor fireplace bressumer has incised graffiti of a Latin cross. Whole range originally with a crown post roof. At east end this is of a square section crown posts with tension braces dropping from post to tie beam. From centre of tie beam, close to foot of crown posts, intersecting arched braces rise to principal rafters, which are not enlarged as such. Crown braces to collar purlin only. Date of c1445 probably accurate.
Information from (S1).
A. Cattermole (King's Lynn UAD), 26 February 2020.

1973. Site visit during renovation work.
These are 14th century priory buildings which retain an overall kingpost roof. A brick culvert runs out through the north wall of No. 16 and in No. 17 are wall foundations and the remains of a north extension.
S. Dunsmore (NAU) and A. Carter (KLAS), April 1974.

2005.
[1] states that her research has shown that the monastic cloister must have been south of the chancel, not the nave, and that Priory Lane is a later inserted street. She suggests that it is therefore unlikely that these buildings could have been claustral.
E. Rose (NLA), 21 January 2005.

(S2) notes that according to documentary sources Priory Lane itself was built by 1589, when the remains of the priory buildings there had been converted into cottages.
A. Cattermole (King's Lynn UAD), 26 February 2020.

Monument Types

• BUILDING (Medieval to 21st Century - 1300 AD? to 2050 AD)
• HOUSE (16th Century to 21st Century - 1589 AD to 2050 AD)

Associated Finds - none

Protected Status

• Listed Building

Sources and further reading

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