Remains Of Creake Abbey Church

The remains of the Church of St. Mary, originally founded in 1206 as an Augustinian priory and later an abbey, stand at North Creake. The community dissolved in the plague of 1507, and the site was granted to Christ's College, Cambridge, in 1509. The visible remains are principally from the 13th century, with some features from the 14th and 15th centuries. The structure is constructed of flint, ashlar, and rubble stone.

Originally comprising a nave, aisles, a crossing, north and south transepts, and a choir, the church appears to have lost its nave and aisles in the 15th century. The transepts were truncated, and chapels were added to the northeast and southeast. Only footings remain of the original nave and aisles. Part of the south boundary wall of the south aisle now forms the cloister garden wall of Abbey Farmhouse.

Remaining elements include 13th-century two-centred piers and arches marking the ends of the north and south aisles; the south aisle incorporates inserted two-light paired lancet windows. The crossing largely survives, with varying degrees of elevation: northwest to capital level, northeast and southwest as a pier, capital and springing of a fallen arch, and southeast as capital and a section of arch. Polygonal projections and finely moulded arches contribute to the architectural detail. Six bays of the chancel remain, extending to roof height.

The north and south arches bordering the crossing feature semi-octagonal piers and molded arches, likely insertions from the 14th or 15th century. Above these are four giant blank arcades reaching vault height, previously decorated with detached shaft colonnettes, and interrupted by the north and south arches. The south crossing chapel retains a 13th-century arch leading to the south transept, along with east and south windows. The north crossing arch was blocked in the 15th century. The north transept has been replaced by two 14th-century chapels to the northeast. The inner chapel, parallel with the choir, has a 13th-century south arch and two 14th-century quatrefoil piers with arched openings leading to the outer chapel, with a south piscina.

The substantial outer north-east chapel features a fine mid-14th-century octagonal pier on the south side, with a surviving south arch whose moldings flow into the piers. A dado sill and a segmental north sepulchre arch are also present. East windows are without tracery, and a piscina is located on the south side.

The site was first restored in 1864 by architect R.M. Phipson. The site is designated as an Ancient Monument, County Number 196.