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Summary

Early 14th century Dominican priory founded by King Edward II next to his palace; the richest Dominican foundation in the country by the time of the Dissolution

Images

No image caption available © Hertfordshire County Council	No image caption available © Hertfordshire County Council
No image caption available © Hertfordshire County Council

Monument Types

• MONASTERY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1500 AD)
• NUNNERY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1500 AD)

Associated Events

• Evaluation at Rudolf Steiner School, Kings Langley, 2012 (Ref: AS 1540)
• Evaluation at The Priory, Kings Langley, 2008
• Geophysical survey at The Priory, Kings Langley, 2006

Protected Status

• Scheduled Ancient Monument 85:10942
• Listed Building (II*) 157690: PRIORY REMAINS (NOW PART OF THE NEW SCHOOL) AND ATTACHED BUILDINGS
• Scheduled Ancient Monument HT85: DOMINICAN PRIORY (SITE OF) (EXCLUDING INHABITED PARTS)
• Area of Archaeological Significance 46

Full description

The priory was founded in 1308 by Edward II next to his palace [96]. Dissolved in 1538, it was refounded as a Dominican nunnery in 1557, but dissolved again in 1558. The site passed through various owners until in 1678 William Houlker demolished the house and buildings. What remained of the church was demolished by the farmer, Mr Betts, in 1831, although a fragment of the south wall of the chancel survives in a boundary wall. Only one part of the Priory survives, a long rectangular building of 14th century date and unknown purpose <1>. Mr Betts recorded the dimensions, allowing the plan of the priory church to be reconstructed <1, 6>.

The surviving portions are 'buildings and walls' <5>. These include 18th century extensions to the north range of the friary, and extensions to the west range built after c.1910 for the Priory School. The result is 'an L-shaped group generally of two storeys with later buildings linking two separate medieval buildings'. In the west range is a long narrow building once known as 'King John's Bakehouse', containing remnants of its doors and windows. This range is in flint with stone dressings, and a chapel with crown-post roof on the upper floor. In the north range is another long narrow building called The Gatehouse, with a blocked stone archway. The lower floor of this range is of plastered flint with stone dressings; the upper floor is timber-framed and jettied. At the east end of the north range is access into the 18th century red brick east front, which has good internal panelling <5>.

This was the richest Dominican house in the country at the Dissolution; see <3> for a list of the surviving buildings in 1553-4.

For stone fragments used to build a folly at Old Palace Lodge, and which may have come from the priory, see [31181]. For a wall at the east side of the precinct see [31497].

HMSO Archaeological Excavations, 1970, p28 (Serial). SHT4848.

OS Records (Index). SHT8223.

Page, W (ed.), 1908, VCH Hertfordshire vol.2, - p238 (Bibliographic reference). SHT9314.

Anon, 1914, 49th excursion, September 23, 1914; Trans East Herts Archaeol Soc 5/3, 305-6 (Article in serial). SHT6924.

Knowles & Hadcock, 1953, Medieval religious houses, - p185 (Bibliographic reference). SHT6444.

Colvin, H M (ed.), 1963, The history of the King's works; vol II, - p257-63 (Bibliographic reference). SHT4836.

Roberts, Eileen, 1974, Totternhoe stone and flint in Hertfordshire churches; Medieval Archaeol 18, 66-89, - p72 (Article in serial). SHT2130.

Doggett, Nick, 2001, The demolition and conversion of former monastic buildings in post-dissolution Hertfordshire; IN Graham Keevill, Mick Aston & Teresa Hall (eds), Monastic archaeology: papers on the study of medieval monasteries, 165-74 (Article in monograph). SHT9587.

<1> Neal, David S, 1973, Excavations at the Palace and Priory at Kings Langley, 1970; Herts Archaeology 3, 31-72 (Article in serial). SHT4493.

<2> Gamlen, St John O, 1973, Medieval window glass from the Priory, Kings Langley; Herts Archaeology 3, 73-7 (Article in serial). SHT4494.

<3> Doggett, Nicholas, 1991, The demolition and conversion of former monastic buildings in Hertfordshire at the Dissolution; IN Doris Jones-Baker (ed), Hertfordshire in history: papers presented to Lionel Munby; 45-64, - p50, 53-4 (Article in monograph). SHT2117.

<4> Fisher, Dr R, 1956, Excavation at Kings Langley Priory; Watford & SW Herts Archaeol Soc Bull 6 (Sept 1956), 3-4 (Article in serial). SHT8555.

<5> Listed Buildings description (Digital archive). SHT6690.

<6> Thompson, Peter, Collins, Tansy, & Henry, Kath, 2012, Rudolf Steiner School, Kings Langley, Hertfordshire: an archaeological desk-based assessment, RNO 2960 (Report). SHT4229.

Sources and further reading

Related records

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