Watton Abbey

Watton Abbey

This is a prior's house, now a dwelling, with a water channel beneath. The building dates to the 15th century with a 14th-century range to the north that has earlier origins, and it has undergone later additions and alterations including 19th-century work. It was constructed for the Gilbertine Order.

The structure is built of pinkish-red brick in English garden wall bond with stone dressings and limestone ashlar with purple brick dressings, beneath a Welsh slate roof. The main form comprises a 3-storey, 3-bay centre block of which the left bay is a 2½-storey canted window, with 4-stage octagonal turrets at the angles and to the rear. A 3-storey, single-bay gable-ended range is set back to the left.

The centre block has a double-chamfered ashlar plinth. A 19th-century single-storey porch to the third bay contains 4-centred double plank doors within a moulded ashlar surround and under a hollow-chamfered hoodmould with label stops. Above this is a boarded ashlar niche for a statue, with ashlar copings. The first bay has a 5-sided ashlar canted window with slender angle buttresses with offsets. To each side of each storey are two cinquefoil-light straight-headed windows within double-hollow-chamfered surrounds and under hollow-chamfered hoodmoulds with label stops. Between floors run arcades of four blind ogeed-trefoil panels to each bay. A moulded cornice with gargoyles to the angles, decorative parapet, moulded cornice, and hipped roof complete the composition. The centre bays have 2-light Perpendicular windows with quoined and chamfered ashlar jambs under hollow-chamfered hoodmoulds, with pointed heads to the ground and first floors and straight heads to the second floor. A first-floor sill band divides the storeys.

The embattled turrets have small lancet lights in rubbed brick with double-chamfered surrounds to the front, with outer lights that are oblong and under rubbed brick hoodmoulds with label stops. Above these, on the left side of the left turret at ground-floor level, is a pair of lancets in a chamfered ashlar surround under a hoodmould. To the first and second floors of the turrets are similar pairs of twin-light lancet windows in flat-headed ashlar surrounds under hoodmoulds; the pair to the first floor on the left turret interrupts a former opening with a brick hoodmould. Some slits are also present. The right turret has remains of a brick Lombard table. Both turrets are ornamental with purple brick diaper patterning.

On the returns, the right return has a 4-centred arch over a stream which marks the end of a channel with chamfered ribs to the roof. The ground and first floors of both returns have 2-light pointed Perpendicular windows with quoined and chamfered ashlar jambs under hollow-chamfered hoodmoulds. The second floor has 5-stepped-cinquefoil-light windows to each return under hollow-chamfered hoodmoulds, with ashlar copings to the gables.

The left range has angle buttresses with offsets. It has a similar 2-light pointed window to the ground floor and remains of a first-floor band. The first floor displays a 5-cinquefoil-light, straight-headed window in a double-hollow-chamfered surround and under a hollow-chamfered hoodmould with shield stops. The second floor has a 2-ogeed-trefoil-light window under a hoodmould that interrupts a chamfered cornice. The gable is recessed slightly. Rear and side stacks are present.

The interior of the left range contains a kitchen with a 2-bay undercroft with single-chamfered ribs to the groin vaults and, to the south-west corner, the remains of a spiral staircase. The main block has a spiral staircase to the south-east turret with a roll-moulded brick handrail. An open-well, newel, closed-string staircase dating to around 1700 has onion-on-ball balusters and newel posts with ball finials and drop-upturned-bell finials to first-floor level. From the first to second floor is an 18th-century open-well, newel, closed-string staircase with slender onion-on-vase balusters. From the second to third floor is a rod balustrade. The canted bay windows have 4-centred arches into windows with traceried panels, that to the ground floor having brattishing. Ground-floor windows have cavetto and ovolo-moulded surrounds and pilasters between. A bathroom off the hall contains a 19th-century lavatory and sink with floral transfer decoration, inscribed 'County Council Closet The Lateslas Washdown Closet no 177396'.

A tunnel runs under the house to a bridge approximately 10 metres to the north, featuring a 4-centred arch inscribed and dated 'IM 1723'.

The priory was founded around 1150 by Eustace Fitzjohn for the Gilbertine Order.