St Nicholas (Priory) Middle School

GREAT YARMOUTH

TG5207NW PRIORY ROW 839-1/12/143 (North side) 27/06/53 St Nicholas (Priory) Middle School (Formerly Listed as: PRIORY ROW Priory School)

GV I

The Great Hall of the domestic range of a Benedictine Priory founded 1101 by Bishop Herbert de Losinga. Much enlarged 1260 and the hall itself rebuilt c1300. Restored and with additions 1853 by JH Hakewill. Extended to east 1947. Knapped flint with ashlar dressings under machine-tiled roofs. EXTERIOR: the hall is in the north range: single storey; 2 reticulated 2-light windows north and south; to the west are moulded and arched opposing doorways relating to a former screens passage. The south side has stepped buttresses, both sides have a worn ashlar cornice with remains of carved heads. Gabled roof. Extending south from the east end is a music room of 1853. Knapped flint with ashlar dressings as before. One storey, rising to 2 storeys at north. 2-storey entrance porch left of centre with double doors to the ground and a 2-light reticulated window above. To its right are two 2-light cusped windows under depressed arches and the south gable has a 3-light window with a vesica. To the left of the porch is an arched doorway and one paired lancet to each floor. The north gable is lit through paired trefoiled lancets to each floor and an encircled quatrefoil in the apex of the gable. Extending south from the west end of the hall is a former museum, late C19: square plan, 2 storeys, flint ground floor and half-timbered upper floor reached via a steel staircase; pyramid roof. Abutting the west gable of the hall is a 2-storey extension of 1853 in 4 bays. Single and grouped square-headed lancets to the ground floor of the north face, single and paired arched lancets above. 4-light reticulated west window. INTERIOR: the hall is open to the roof and is entered from the music room through a multiply-moulded arched doorway with a square hood-mould with shields in the spandrels. Above are 2 C19 windows. The west end retains 5 screens passage doorways, all with multiple mouldings, all arched and all except the centre one with short ogee arches rising to a string course. The rear of these arches are stilted. The roof is of 1853: principals, 2 tiers of purlins with arched windbraces and collars.

(The Buildings of England: Pevsner N: North-east Norfolk and Norwich: Harmondsworth: 1962-: 148).

Listing NGR: TG5246007985