Carrow Abbey

Carrow Abbey

The 16th-century prioress's residence of Carrow Priory was adapted for use as a gentry home from 1538 onwards. It underwent substantial restoration and extension during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The structural walls are principally constructed of flint and brick with brick quoins, and the roofs are covered in plain tiles.

The house comprises three north-south ranges slightly offset from each other, with the southernmost ranges joined by a canted stair hall. The northern ranges contain the 16th-century core, including the strangers' hall (later used as a 19th-century library) and the panelled prioress's parlour.

The long west elevation displays three principal ranges, each of two storeys with uncoursed flint walling and brick dressings. The leftmost four-bay range has two entrance doors and an oriel window at first floor. This adjoins the taller open hall range of four bays, with the first bay featuring a large two-storey oriel window. A wide, partially glazed porch with a flushwork flint base and timber-framed roof stands to the right of the hall. The third range of seven bays is set back to the right and connects to the hall range by a canted stair hall. This stair hall incorporates older flintwork at the base, with diaper brick patterns set into the flint at first floor. The diaperwork parapet features moulded brick finials. The first-floor diaperwork continues across the 1899 range on the right-hand side, where dormer windows run across the attic roof. The final bay on the right has a projecting bay window with a curving copper roof.

The north elevation of the northernmost range is a blank gable wall of flint, brick and clunch rubble with quoins, possibly reconstructed. At ground floor, a 20th-century entrance connects to the Abbey Dining Rooms. Set back to the south, the 1900 range connects to the more historic range via a single-storey extension at ground floor with an independent pitched roof. A doorway with carved spandrels and a semi-circular oriel window are notable features. At first floor, behind the extension, the diaperwork continues across a pair of joined gables.

The long east elevation shows three principal ranges. Notable features include a rendered stair turret connecting the prioress's parlour to the rooms above, a large window lighting the strangers' hall, and a partially reconstructed brick chimney stack perpendicular to the entrance hall. The late Victorian range on the left is elaborately detailed with highly decorative diaperwork. A pair of gabled cross wings stand either side of an entrance bay. On the right is a two-storey pentagonal bay window with bath stone dressings dated 1899 and marked with scallop shells and the letter "S" (for James Stuart). At first floor on the left is an oriel window with finely cut and rubbed brickwork. Between the bay window and the glazed entrance surround is an ornate wrought-iron Arts and Crafts bell.

The south elevation features a gable with diaper-pattern brick set into flint walling, a canted bay window at first floor with a crenellated parapet, and a first-floor doorway which formerly provided rooftop access to a first-floor conservatory.

Attached to the southern elevation is a single-storey building known as "the bungalow," latterly used as an occupational health clinic. It is constructed of narrow red brick laid in Flemish bond, with a pitched plain-tiled roof connected to the main house via a flat-roofed link. It has Crittall windows and retains its original entrance doors.

External features of particular interest include the varied range of chimney stacks, some highly decorative; the wide variety of flint and brickwork, including areas to the hall and parlour ranges where changes to the fabric are visible; oak entrance doors with carved spandrels; and timber windows with leaded and sometimes stained glass.

Interior

The interiors retain high-quality materials and detailing throughout, including joinery, plasterwork, ironwork, stonework and glass. Much of this dates to the 1870s remodelling carried out for Jeremiah James Colman, or to the 1899 extension undertaken for James Stuart.

The strangers' hall and prioress's parlour are the principal spaces surviving from the 16th century. The hall is an open two-storey volume retaining heavily moulded 16th-century timber ceiling beams. The rest of the hall is of late 19th-century character, featuring high-quality Gothic bookcases and a minstrels' gallery, possibly designed by Edward Boardman, and a mural depicting the Fruits of the Spirit on the south wall. The mural bears the signature "G A R and F H H, 1906", and its subject is similar to that of stained glass on the east elevation of Norwich's Royal Arcade (designed by George Skipper, 1899). Beneath the minstrels' gallery is a Gothic fireplace with relief tiles. 19th-century wall decoration survives beneath later wallpaper.

The parlour features a variety of panelling, some dating to the early 16th century, including a four-centred arch surrounding the fireplace which contains the rebus of Prioress Isobel Wygun in each spandrel (the letter "Y" and a Gun indicating her surname). Other parts of the panelling have been reused from elsewhere and are of 18th or 19th-century date. The spiral stairs in the turret at the north-east of the parlour were rebuilt in the late 19th century, with walls retaining their Victorian decoration. In the chambers above the parlour, thick, heavily moulded 16th-century timbers support the ceilings.

Fireplaces survive well throughout the interior, including a large French-Renaissance revival fire surround and overmantle in the entrance hall with a strapwork cartouche dated 1900. The parlour range includes several finely detailed fireplaces, possibly designed by Boardman in the 1870s.

Two elaborately detailed staircases survive. At the north end of the parlour range is a delicately detailed neo-Gothic staircase with a traceried balustrade and carved lion newel post, possibly designed by Boardman in the 1870s. The stair compartment constructed around 1900 flowing from the entrance hall features a grand open-well staircase with Jacobean-inspired newel posts and strapwork.

Jacobean detailing is a recurring motif throughout the southern range constructed around 1900 for James Stuart. The dining room at ground floor and the corresponding first-floor chamber above feature wall and ceiling decoration in this style.

Stained glass from the medieval period through to the early 20th century is incorporated into the glazing of most of the reception rooms.

The Edwardian service areas of the house survive well, often corresponding to a separate circulation pattern. These include the cellars, large ground-floor kitchen, service stairs, and attic accommodation. The kitchen retains tiles, large opening cooking stoves, and leaded glazing decorated with depictions of game, livestock and fish.