| Summary : Augustinian priory and hospital founded in 1217-1235 by William de Warren. There was also a hospital until the 14th century, and the priory was dissolved in 1536. Several authors give the priory as a house of the Crutched Friars. If it was, it was certainly not of the Flemish Branch, but may well have been of the earlier `Fratres Cruciferi', regular canons known also as the Augustinian Hospitallers. It may then be significant that the earliest record of Reigate in the chapters of Augustinian Canons seems to be in 1509. The priory was largely demolished and a house replacing it in 1541 forming an H-plan house. Thick walling incorporated in the house may be part of the cloister garth and frater. Additions were constructed in 1690. The house was rebuilt in 1771, with additions carried out in the early 19th century and 1880. The building has been in use as a school from 1948. |
More information : [TQ 25315000.] The Priory [T.I.]
[TQ 25314998] PRIORY [GT] (Site of) [T.I.]
Reigate: Priory of Augustinian Canons; also a Hospital for the maintenance of the poor and sick until the 14C. Founded: Early 13th C. Dissolved: 1536. At the Dissolution Lord William Howard obtained the Priory Estate. '.. he must have demolished a greater part of the buildings, including probably the church, and transformed what remained into a mansion for his own use, and this house was in turn almost entirely rebuilt or refronted in 1779..; parts of the walls in the rear are those of the priory buildings - perhaps of the refectory - in particular a range of plain stone corbels and what appears to be the lower part of a corbelled - out chimney belonging to an upper storey'.
Reigate: Priory and hospital of Augustinian Canons dedicated to the Blessed Virgin and Holy Cross. Founded in the early 13th C by William de Warren, and Isabel his wife. Dissolved 26th July 1536. [The known documentary history of the house is given.]
[Similar information to Authorities 3 & 4 given: the rebuilding date of the house that occupies the Priory site is given as 1771.]
'A small Augustinian Priory from 1235 to 1536. Little visible trace except on the ground plan.
The Assembly Hall is within the shell of the church. The blocked west door exists behind panelling. The Headmaster's study and the short wings from the south face are within walls which formed parts of the east and west sides of the cloisters quadrangle.
About 1536, the Howards pulled down the south side, containing the refectory etc., and built two small wings on the north side of the 'church', thereby producing an H-plan private mansion.
A Tudor 10-light mullioned and transomed window remains, now whithin the structure but originally looking upon the north courtyard from the W. side. About 1690, the Parsons introduced the Great Staircase at the west end of the Great Hall (originally the church) and put in an upper floor right to the east end.
After a fire during Richard Ireland's residence, about 1771, the south wings were shortened and the south front was refaced, assuming its present appearance. The Library was added to the west end of the Great Hall. Early 19 C additions were made along the north side and in 1880, a wing was built at the NE corner to connect with a post-1536 building, once a tennis court, later stables, which is built of narrow brick.
Other additions forming the north quadrangle are of the 19th C (c1885).
The break in the roof line of the Georgian S. front may denote the division between nave and choir in the Priory church'.
Occupied since 1948 by Reigate Priory County Secondary School. (Hall Notice Board).
A perambulation of the buildings revealed many very thick walls particularly in the south wing. Some early stone walling was noted at the west end of the former Tennis Court building, below early brickwork. The corbelled-out chimney is upon the former exterior N. wall, just east of the NE corner of the church, and below the ceiling of the present upper floor.
There are now no traces to be seen of the monastic buildings which lay to the south.
Further consultation with Mr. Batley (authority 6) revealed that the identification of the south wing with the church is based mainly on the fact that the walls are very thick and that the orientation is correct for a church. The existence, however, of the corbels on the north wall, and a corbelled chimney is more suggestive of a building in the southern range of conventual buildings, possibly the frater or calefactory. The presence of old stonework in the walls of the present range to the north also supports the possibility that the existing courtyard represents the cloistergarth. In the absence of more definite evidence no certain conclusions regarding the character of the remains could be drawn.
Scheduled.
No further information. |