Former Western Range To Langley Abbey

The former western range of Langley Abbey, originally a cellarium, now serves as an agricultural store. Dating back to the 13th century with subsequent alterations, it is constructed of limestone, brick, and flint, featuring red brick and limestone dressings. The south range has a steeply pitched reed thatched roof, while the north range has a later, shallower pitched pantiled roof. The main block was originally two and a half storeys with a vaulted ground floor. The floor was raised, and the vaulting dismantled across the southern section in the early 19th century. A doorway in the west wall has a pointed segmental arch and hood mould, leading to a plain door opening with a segmental pointed arch central in the thatched range, between later lean-tos. A stone string course runs at first floor level. Fenestration is primarily 20th century, with square pivot windows and a 4-light wooden mullion window at the south-east corner. The south gable parapet has been rebuilt in brick. A large, stone-dressed arched opening is now blocked and partly marked by later construction to the south. A stepped stone string course is present. A large, off-centre double door opening with a segmental arched head features in the western wall, with a medieval corbel-head re-set into the arch. Two small, blocked window openings are at the south-west corner, with limestone dressings and pointed arched heads. An upper 3-light wooden mullion window is set within a red brick filling of a stone-dressed window opening. An arched doorway with a hoodmould is at the north-west corner. The north gable retains the line of an earlier roof pitch and has three openings at the north-west corner; the upper window’s tracery is missing. The lower window illuminates a vaulted chamber at the north end of the western range. The remains of a flue are visible in the gable wall. A pantiled 2-storey range adjoins the north-west corner, incorporating the north wall of a 14th-century gatehouse block. The gatehouse features a large opening with a pointed segmental arched head blocked in red brick, as well as small, square-headed window openings and lancets dressed in limestone. Much re-used material is incorporated into the gatehouse wall. Inside the main range's north end is a four-bay vaulted chamber with plain chamfered stone ribs on a central shaft with an octagonal capital and base; the outer ends of the ribs rest on polygonal wall-corbels. The vault infilling is brick, likely a 14th-century replacement. The roof, probably 17th century, has two tiers of butt purlins, tie beams, and collars attached to principal rafters. Two tie beams on the western side retain arch-braces and wall posts. The building is part of Scheduled Ancient Monument County No. 150, and further information can be found in "The Premonstratensian Abbey of Langley, Co. Norfolk" by F.C. Elliston Erwood, published in Norfolk Archaeology, volume xxi.