Remains Of Gatehouse Of Cluniac Benedictine Priory Of St Mary And St Peter And St Paul

The remains of the gatehouse of the Cluniac Benedictine Priory of St. Mary and St. Peter and St. Paul, founded in 1090 and dissolved in 1537, date from around 1500. The structure is built from knapped, squared flint, clunch blocks, and brick dressings, and it is currently roofless with two storeys in the Perpendicular style.

The north face features an off-centre, four-centred arch carriage entrance with brick rustication, jambs, a soffit, and a drip mould, along with a keyed brick arch above. There is also a two-centred arched pedestrian gate with similar brick detailing and the royal arms of England above it. The facade includes two outer rectangular windows with brick-dressed drip mould heads and angle buttresses with set-offs. A first-floor string course displays four panels with coats of arms, while only the sills and jambs remain of the two first-floor windows.

On the west face, there is one ground floor and one first floor brick-dressed rectangular window. The south face has two arches, one at ground level and two first-floor windows, along with angle buttresses. A brick spiral staircase is located in the south-west corner, along with the remains of flues. This site is a Scheduled Ancient Monument and is under the care of Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission.