Monmouth Priory

Monmouth Priory

Built of red sandstone ashlar with red tile roofs, Monmouth Priory is a substantial building displaying 15th century Gothic style. The plan comprises a main range parallel with the street, with wings both before and behind, creating a complex composition of two storey main range, lower two storey wings, and an additional single storey rear wing.

The front elevation to the street consists of five bays. The leftmost bay was added in 1856 and features a 4-centred headed doorway with dripmould, above which sits a 2-light window with dripmould. The second bay projects forward with corner buttresses featuring offsets and contains an important survival: a fine unaltered oriel window on the first floor, known as Geoffrey of Monmouth's window. This significant feature has six lights with mullions and transoms, cusping and arcaded aprons, supported on three corbel heads. Below this oriel is a 2-light window with cusped heads. This window is probably reused medieval work; a drawing from 1815 shows an archway in this location, suggesting this range may have been the Priory Gatehouse, and the stonework on either side appears largely undisturbed. Above the oriel is a cornice and battlemented parapet, which previously featured a gable running back from it. Bays 3 and 5 contain tall 2-light two transom windows on the ground floor with 2-light windows above; bay 4 has a 3-light two transom window on the ground floor. Two of the window heads on the right are reused medieval examples. A steeply pitched roof rises above, with a tall lateral stack on the front wall at the right where the wing projects. This stack is shown in position in the 1815 drawing but now features four tall brick octagonal shafts.

The projecting wing is arranged in two bays with 2-light windows on both floors to the left and a single light window on the ground floor only to the right. The gable end facing the street contains two single light windows on the ground floor and a large two flue stack projecting above, with a 2-light window on the upper floor of the return gable. The left return of the main range is gabled and partly obscured by a later building; it retains a 2-light window on the first floor and a single light window on the gable, with a coped gable and kneelers. The right return gable is obscured by a lean-to structure containing a 2-light window facing to the rear and a single light window in the gable.

The rear elevation of the main range has its ground floor concealed by a 4-bay flat roofed extension featuring 3-light mullion-and-transom windows, one of which has been partly converted to a door. To the left of this extension is a doorway into the main range; the first floor above comprises six gabled bays, all except bay 3 having tall 2-light mullion-and-transom windows. Bay 3 contains a single light window with a large stack rising beside it. To the right is a projecting caretaker's house with a tall industrial stack at its junction with the main range. This wing is two storeyed with a catslide addition to the right of its gable, featuring two timber mullion-and-transom windows on the gable end and a small stack above.

The building retains considerable medieval fabric throughout. Following restoration in 2002, the interior was converted to open plan, creating large spaces on both floors.