The Old Priory, attached walls and gate piers, Repton School

The Old Priory, attached walls and gate piers, Repton School

The Prior's lodgings, converted into a school in 1557, comprise the main building, attached steps and walls leading up to the main entrance, and attached gate piers known as the Pillars of Hercules. The structures date from the late 12th century, 16th century, and 17th century, with restoration carried out in 1922.

The building is constructed of rubble and coursed squared sandstone with sandstone dressings and some red brick. The roof is plain tile with moulded coped gables, plain kneelers, and finials. Chimneys are largely 19th and 20th century brick stacks set in the pitch of the roof, with one external stack to the west raised in brick. The building is two storeys tall.

The west elevation comprises seven bays, mostly with 16th and 17th century fenestration. The end bays are gabled. A chamfered stringcourse runs above the undercroft. The fenestration includes, from left to right, a three-light recessed cavetto-moulded mullioned window, a doorway with plain chamfered surround, four-light and three-light mullioned windows, a moulded four-centred arched doorway, a wooden cross window, a two-light casement in a chamfered surround, a blocked window, two two-light wooden casements, and a doorway opening to a stone winder stair within the wall leading to an upper doorway that originally gave access to a range to the west. An archway with segmental arch is also present. The first floor features a cross window, a four-light mullioned and transomed window, another cross window, and three four-light mullioned and transomed windows. The left gable contains a three-light mullioned window, while the right gable has a similar window with wooden casements. Seven 18th century gabled dormers are set into the roof.

To the south, a ramped walkway with parapet walls featuring double chamfered copings leads up to the main entrance. This is a 16th century four-centred arched doorway with moulded surround and carved spandrels, with a returned hoodmould. A 16th century panelled door is fitted with a smaller door set within it. To the right are a two-light casement and another two-light casement above. To the left a sundial is positioned, with above it a sunk panel having a moulded surround.

Attached to the west, beside the external stack, are a low wall and the Pillars of Hercules, built around 1670 as a result of a law suit between the governors of the school and the Thacker family who owned Repton Hall. These are square ashlar piers with moulded cornices and ball finials.

The east elevation comprises ten bays. The three centre bays are twin gabled and project over a three-bay open arcade with basket arches and a plain impost band. Three recessed and cavetto-moulded cross windows are set above. Single-light casements are positioned in the gables. To the left, the ground floor has two wooden casement windows and a four-centred arched doorway, with a four-light and two-light mullioned and transomed window and a wooden cross window above. Remains of a chamfered stringcourse are visible to the left. The left gable has a casement window and parapet walls repaired in brick. To the right, irregular fenestration of mostly wooden mullioned and transomed casements is set in chamfered surrounds, alongside two chamfered lancets with arched heads. Five 20th century roof dormers are present.

The interior contains significant medieval and later features. At the south end is a tunnel-vaulted slype with remains of deeply splayed windows. The undercroft features four 12th century and two 20th century circular piers supporting massive beams which in turn support the timber ceiling. The south wall contains miscellaneous fragments from the priory excavated in the 1880s, and medieval tiles are set in the north wall. Other fragments fill the south end of the undercroft, now used as a museum. To the north are re-set 17th century panelling and a room containing part of a 12th century rib vault with two lancet windows. A 17th century style oak staircase dating from 1922 is present. The Prior's hall above, now divided into schoolrooms, retains remains of a 12th century round-arched doorway, large fireplaces with bressumers, and chamfered beamed ceilings. Panelling is mostly 20th century. At the north end of the library is a raised dais with carved and panelled back and canopy, dated 1650. Stained glass of 1909 depicts copies of vignettes of the life of St Guthlac, designed by a monk from Crowland in the 12th century. The top floor has a single and double purlin braced collar beam roof, including roof fragments from around 1400.