Pinley Abbey And Attached Remains Of Priory Church

Pinley Abbey is a house, possibly a former refectory, with attached remains of a church. It dates from the 15th century, with later alterations. The ground floor to the left features 19th-century brickwork, as does a 19th-century lean-to addition on the right. The left of center has render, likely on timber framing, while the right of center has close-studded timber framing with rendered infill, particularly in the two-storey porch. The building has a 20th-century plain-tile roof and stone-based lateral stacks at the rear left and center, each with two diagonally-set brick flues, along with a stone-based end stack to the right.

The structure is two-storey with a four-window range. The two-storey porch to the right of center has a plank outer door and a six-panel inner door. The ground floor features three-light casements to the left and center, and a four-light casement to the right. The first floor of the porch jetties out, with single-light casements above the porch and to the left of center, and three-light casements to the first floor left and center, with a two-light casement to the right. The left return shows close-studded timber framing on both floors. The rear has a stone plinth and 19th-century brickwork, except for the close-studded timber framing on the left projection and the first floor of the right projection.

Inside, there are winder staircases from the ground to the first floors on both the left and right rear. Open fireplaces include one in the sitting room on the ground floor left with a moulded stone surround, another in the hall on the ground floor center with a chamfered bressumer featuring ogee end stops, and a wood bressumer for the kitchen fireplace on the ground floor right.

The attached remains of the Priory church are likely from the 14th century, constructed of squared random coursed stone with an old plain-tile roof. This single-storey, single-bay range features a Tudor-arched doorway at the west end and has been converted to a dairy.

Historically, the Cistercian Priory of Pinley was founded by Henry I and dissolved by Henry VIII.