St. Olave's Priory

St. Olave's Priory is a ruinous Augustinian priory, founded around 1216 by Roger Fitz Osbert. Subsequent building phases occurred between the 13th and 16th centuries. The priory was dissolved in 1534 and the site purchased by Sir Henry Jerningham, who constructed a three-story mansion to the north of the cloisters, incorporating monastic remains. This mansion was demolished in 1784, and further site robbing occurred in 1823 to repair Herringfleet church. Between 1825 and 1902, the refectory undercroft was used as a cottage. Partial excavation and restoration took place in 1904, followed by further work in 1922-24 and 1984. The priory is constructed from quaternary and quarry flint, chert, brick, and Lincolnshire limestone ashlar. Surviving elements include parts of the church, cloister, and refectory. To the north lie fragments of the 16th-century Jerningham house.

The church, located south of the cloister, retains five bays to the east of the west end, dating back to the early 13th century. It is aisless, with a south aisle added between 1300 and 1310. The south wall of the aisle now connects continuously with the north range of the garden wall of The Priory. Two 16th-century splayed slit lights remain. Two circular flint bases of aisle piers are visible (the piers were octagonal), along with the base of a respond against the west wall. Western doorways into the nave and aisle were blocked in the 20th century. The north wall of the church is fragmentary.

The cloister is square and from the early 13th century, featuring brick-faced piers that originally supported the roof of the cloister walls. The bases of three piers remain on the north wall and four on the south. The west wall of the cloister range survives, pierced at the north end by an early 14th-century four-centred ashlar doorway, which likely led to the Prior’s lodging, guest rooms, parlour, kitchen, and Cellerar’s rooms. The north range, built between 1300 and 1310, is part of the refectory buildings.

The refectory’s upper floor has been demolished, but the undercroft remains. It is entered from the cloister through an arched doorway. One arched window is on each side, with a 20th-century casement on the west side. The north side had two doors, one now blocked, and three windows, two of which are also blocked, all with brick surrounds. The east wall is brick and dates to the 20th century. The interior of the undercroft consists of six bays, the eastern bay now reduced. Two aisles are defined by five central octagonal Purbeck marble piers with capitals and bases. Two eastern bays are separated by a 16th-century cross wall. A quadripartite brick vault covers each bay, separated by transverse and longitudinal brick ribs. Wall springers rise from engaged brick shafts, and the brickwork is plastered. A blocked doorway in the north-west corner of the undercroft led to an external newel staircase to the refectory above. An internal 16th-century staircase was inserted in the south side of the western bay to serve Jerningham’s house. Two further rooms abut the refectory to the north, built after 1537 as part of Jerningham’s house, constructed of flint and brick. These rooms open into one another through a re-used 14th-century four-centred brick doorway. A 20th-century staircase is located in the southern room, leading to a flat, felt-covered roof of the undercroft. The site is a Scheduled Ancient Monument (County Number 398).