Studley Priory

Studley Priory is a country house, now hotel, incorporating monastic buildings. It probably dates from the 14th and 15th centuries, and was remodelled and extended in the late 16th century for Sir John Croke and in the early 17th century for Sir George Croke. A wing was added in the early 19th century.

The building is constructed of limestone rubble with ashlar dressings, with an old plain-tile roof and brick stacks. It has a complex plan.

The right half of the main range consists of 2 storeys plus an attic and is probably 14th century, though it has tall 16th-century stone-mullioned and transomed windows arranged irregularly. The central 2-storey porch has a Renaissance archway flanked by fluted Doric pilasters, carrying an entablature with a frieze of triglyphs and medallions. Above this is a panel containing 3 shields of arms dated 1587, enlarged to include a fourth dated 1622. At first floor is a large 3-light mullioned-and-transomed window with square-headed lights, flanked by Ionic columns on panelled pedestals rising to consoles and a triangular pediment within the gable. The gable contains a biblical quotation, a Tudor rose, a crown and the initials "E.R.".

The hall to the left of the porch has similar windows arranged regularly and is probably 16th century. Its moulded plinth returns around a projecting triple-gabled section to the left, incorporating the hall bay window with large transomed windows up to 5 lights wide and a central bay window of 1877.

A projecting early 17th-century multi-gabled range to the left, of one storey plus an attic, was formerly a chapel. It has 2-light transomed side windows, a 6-light window in the front gable wall, with 3- and 4-light windows in the gables and a blocked basket-arched doorway to the right. Windows have hollow chamfers and 4-centre arched upper lights, with vase finials on the gable apexes. The roof has a timber bellcote.

A long stable range to the left of the chapel wing has 2- and 3-light mullioned windows at ground floor plus 2 moulded stone doorways. Most first floor windows were inserted when the roof was raised in 1924. The parapetted dormer gable with a 3-light window is original. A rough datestone is inscribed "AC/1666".

To the right of the main range the low 15th and early 16th-century kitchen range projects. Its front gable wall has mullioned windows and continues to the right in a low 2-storey range with irregular fenestration including a chamfered 4-centre arched doorway and several deeply-chamfered openings. This section is probably late medieval and terminates in a short stable section. The rear has further openings including a large 3-light window with massive chamfered mullions and a large projecting chimney on the rear gable wall.

A wing projecting to the rear of the kitchen is probably early 17th century. A second wing to the rear of the hall dates to around 1820 with a large canted 2-storey bay window forming its rear wall.

The rear of the triple-gabled block has 3 gables, one higher above the stair tower, and includes 6- and 7-light transomed windows. The rear of the chapel is similar to its front wall. The rear of the stable range has inserted 20th-century mullioned windows.

The roofs have numerous stacks with clusters of diagonally set shafts.

Interior features include a large built-up late medieval fireplace in the kitchen, 2 stone 4-centre arched doorways leading from the cross passage into the kitchen wing, and several 16th and early 17th-century doorways on the main stair, at first floor and in the attics. There are some original heavy bulbous balusters plus a short stone balustrade of similar design. The parlour has 17th-century panelling and the hall has early 18th-century bolection-mould panelling. A Regency Gothick open-well stair is present, and a marble fireplace in a Regency drawing room.

Roof structures include a 7-canted coupled-rafter roof with upper collars on the 14th-century range; a butt-purlin roof with curved windbraces and heavy carved struts on the kitchen wing; and butt-purlin roofs over the 16th and 17th-century ranges.

The Benedictine Priory was founded in 1184 and was bought in 1539 by John Croke.