Priory Church. Late Cll, early C13 c.1300, c.1400, late C15. The transepts and 5 apses were blocked off in the C15 and demolished mid C16. Restored by Fowler 1885, further various C20 restorations, the bell chamber being restored 1929/30. Founded by Roger de Builli in 1088. Ashlar and brick with lead roofs and segmental stone coped parapet at the east end. Tower, nave, north and south aisles with tribunes and clerestorys, south porch. The crossing, north and south transepts each with apsidal east capel, the chancel ending in an apse and with straight-ended chapels have all been demolished. The angle buttressed C15 tower of 2 stages has a chamfered base with 2 moulded string courses over. There is a central arched west doorway with moulded jambs and arch, with inner order of fleuron decoration. Over is a hoodmould decorated with worn crockets and rising to a crocketed pinnacle with decorated finial. Above is a slightly projecting canopy. The outer order of the jambs support single slender flat piers with set offs. These are decorated with blind tracery and topped with a crocketed pinnacle and finial which terminate at the canopy. Above is an arched 3-light window divided by a single transom and 3 mullions, with reticulated tracery below the transom and reticulated and panel tracery above. Over is a hoodmould and label stops. On either side are single niches, having ogee arches topped with a crocketed pinnacle. Rising from the springing of these arches are single small slim piers with worn decorated capitals. Above the window is a similar niche and above a single square light. There are 6 small stair lights. The 4 large arched bell chamber openings of 4 arched lights, surmounted by a further 4 arched lights and tracery have a hood mould with finial and label stops, the latter rise to single gargoyles. The top of the tower is embattled with centre and corner crocketed pinnacles. The merlons are conjoined by single open-work crocketed and cusped arches. The north aisle, west wall, on a shallow plinth with slim rectangular set back buttresses has a brick arched opening leading to a cellar doorway. Between the wall and the tower buttress is an ashlar lean-to with ashlar roof - remnants of a former spiral stair turret. The north aisle wail, with corbel table to the 3 eastern bays and traces of the cloisters, has 4 large buttresses, the western one being topped with a flue. The 2 western most bays are set on a shallow plinth and there are remnants of a sill band. The 3-bays to the west each have a single small round-headed arched window in a deep recess. The 2nd bay in from the east has a single similar arched window and a small single, flat headed, window replacing an arched one. The eastern most bay has a similar flat headed window in an arched opening and a single similar arched window. There is a 2nd founder's tomb with decorated arch and a blocked arch now containing a doorway. At tribune level are 5 windows each with 3 arched lights under a flat head. In the clerestorey are 6 arched windows. Above, supporting the roof, runs a corbel table. The east wall has a central moulded arch supported on compound piers of rectangular and segmental moulding, with worn capitals. This leads to a blocked off bay of the nave with vaulted ceiling and single boss, with evidence of the once internal round piers and volute capitals. The north and south walls of this bay are blocked, to the north with brick. On either side of the arch are C20 brick refaced walls with some rendering. The south aisle wall is buttressed and set on a plinth. The parapet is embattled and has 7 gargoyles under. There is a sill band interrupted by the porch. There are 5 arched windows, each with recently restored 3-light intersecting tracery, hood moulds and label stops. To the west, between the 4th and 5th window is the c.1200 buttressed porch, with embattled, gabled parapet with 3 crocketed pinnacles and single gargoyles to its east and west walls. The central moulded arch is supported on either side by single alternating pairs of colonnettes and columns with worn and restored crocker capitals. Over the guttering, which follows the line of the gable, is a sundial. The inner arched doorway has on either side single colonnettes and single columns supporting a double order of nail head decoration. The double doors have blind tracery. To the west is an arched doorway with hoodmould over. There are 6 arched windows in the clerestorey, the eastern most one being blocked. Above, supporting the roof, runs a corbel table. The west, south aisle wall with angle buttresses and parapet has a band terminating at the large 5-light arched window, with panel tracery, hoodmould and label stops. Interior. Nave and aisles are separated by 5 bay arcades. The piers have square cores with a flat projection to each side and a further flat projection to the aisle sides. The other 3 sides each have a single demi-column on a rectangular plinth. The slender columns facing the nave once rose to the roof, they now support the c.1230 quadripartite vaulted ceiling with narrow ribs and 4 remaining bosses. The capitals of the larger columns are decorated with primitive volutes and a single central tongue. Some of the bases of the columns are decorated. The arches have 2 steps. At tribune level is a string course running around the columns. The tribune openings are large, the arches have 2 steps and are supported by imposts. The northern openings have 3 C17 style windows. The clerestory windows each have an outer order of columns. The blocked north eastern bay has a grille in the east corner. In the blocked east wall is an arch which once lead to the choir. There is a double chamfered tower arch. The north aisle has crude depressed transverse arches and crude groined vaults, the eastern most bay is blocked off. There is a blocked arch in the west wall, this once lead to a spiral staircase. In the late C13 the south aisle was widened. There is double chamfered arch leading to the tower and a blocked arch in the west wall, once leading to a spiral staircase. The blocked east wall has a 2 bay opening, once leading to the transept, with moulded arches and centre octagonal pier with moulded capital. The northern, restored, respond has square shafts with a demi-column the south also has a carved head and moulded capital to the inner shaft. The C15 south aisle screen with tracery and cusping is vaulted either side, this and the C15 nave screen have painted panels. There is a further C15 traceried screen separating organ and south aisle. The C17 font is decorated with cherubs' heads and has a Jacobean style cover. The panelling in the south east end of the aisle is said to be preserved from the old pews and is dated 1656. The decoration corresponds to that on the C17 pulpit. In the south aisle is a C17 oak table; in the nave a C15 wooden alms box. There are scant remnants of a wall painting on the pulpitum. In the south aisle is a painting attributed to Fra Bartolomeo, c.1490 of St. Mary Magdalene. On the north wall is a large, fine and elaborate monument to Edward Mellish, 1703, by John Hancock. This comprises the figure of Mellish, reclining upon a chest tomb with his head resting upon one hand, above is the inscription with elaborate carved drapery over. Ionic columns support a segmental pediment with centre carved shield. Also in the north aisle is a coffin slab with worn cross and another rather more worn. In the tower is a coffin slab with foliated cross c.1300. Beside the north wall of the south aisle is a damaged recumbant knight in full armour, with cylindrical helmet and visor, c.1240. In the nave is a monument, 1772, to Catherine Hornby and Thomas dudson Gent. This has a decoratively carved cherub's head on the apron with an urn and swag flanked by single torches on the crown, and is by J. Wood. (NCC/js)