An Augustinian Priory, established circa 1170 by Henry II, extended and rebuilt in the late 13th century with the Prior's Lodgings, Great Hall and Dorter added in the 15th century. The monastery was dissolved in 1539 and in the following year Henry VIII granted Newstead to Sir John Byron, an ancestor of the poet George Gordon Byron, who converted the priory into a country house for his family. The house was restored by George Gordon Byron circa 1800. It was then extended and restored by John Shaw for Colonel Wildman in 1819 with a further alteration taking place circa 1862 for William Frederick Webb, African explorer and friend of Dr David Livingstone. Following Mr Webb's death in 1899, the estate passed to each of his surviving children and finally to his grandson Charles Ian Fraser. Mr Fraser sold Newstead to the Nottinghamshire philanthropist Sir Julien Cahn, who presented it to Nottingham Corporation in 1931. The structure is constructed from coursed and squared rubble and ashlar with plain tile and slate roofs. Of the church, all that remains is the very beautiful west end, circa 1270, decorated with exceptionally fine carved panels, tracery and ornament. The front is symmetrical, although there was in fact no south aisle. Many of the claustral buildings survive intact in the adjoining mansion which is used as a museum. (9)

The Priory of St Mary of Newstead in Sherwood, Austin canons, founded by Henry II, c 1170. (2)
Priory founded c. 1163, (a) dissolved 1539. Remains of importance. The Priory was probably for at least 13 monks with a number of lay brothers. It was surrendered by the prior and eleven canons who were pensioned (10)

Of the original C12 priory there are considerable remains - in the inner walls of the claustral buildings. A doorway in the W end of a passage between the E and S ranges is of this period. In the course of the C13 the E and S ranges were entirely rebuilt. The church was enlarged and the W front was completed later in the century when the W range was commenced. In the C15 this range was again altered and the cloister walks entirely reconstructed. The Priory was granted on 13.5.1540 to Sir John Byron. The Byrons remained in possession for nearly 300 years. In 1643 the barony was created. In 1798 the poet, Lord Byron, inherited Newstead and in his poem `Don Juan' elaborately describes the Priory. In 1817 he sold it to Col. Wildman who began the work of restoration. In 1860 it was sold to Mr. Webb who continued the work. (3)
Newstead changed hands more than once in the 19th c. In 1931, Sir Julian Cahn presented the estate to Nottingham City who have added collections of Byroniana and restored the grounds (11)
Plans and illustrations during Byron's tenure (12); illustration and plans of conversion to private residence (13).

Externally there is little of the monastic buildings visible other than the W front of the church (see M2565), possibly the C15 porch on the W front and small fragments of architectural debris about the grounds. The major extant parts of the priiory are only visible from within the house or cloister. There are no certain remains of out-buildings or walling to the Priory. (8)

Data Held (Document). SNT2647.

OS cards, Parish File

<1> British Archaeological Assoc, 1854, JBAA, pp 14- (Published document). SNT191.

<2> VCH, 1910, Notts, p 180 (Published document). SNT1384.

<3> Thoroton Society, 1919, TTS, pp 33- (Published document). SNT344.

<4> Walker VW, 1940, Newstead Abbey Cartulary 1344, pp 1- (Published document). SNT1843.

<5> Nottingham Corporation, 1945, Newstead Abbey Pubn no 1 (Published document). SNT251.

<6> Knowles D and St Joseph JK, 1952, Monastic Sites From The Air, p 202 (Published document). SNT870.

<7> Knowles D and Hadcock N, 1953, Medieval Religious Houses, p 147 (Published document). SNT869.

<8> Woodhouse WC, 1959, Pers Comm (Personal comment). SNT1437.

<9> Historic England, 2021, National Record of Historic Environment (Digital archive). SNT5271.

<10> Knowles D and Hadcock N, 1971, Medieval Religious Houses (2nd edn), p. 147 (Published document). SNT867.

<11> Pevsner N, 1979, The Buildings of England: Nottinghamshire 2nd ed., p. 116 (Monograph). SNT4.

<12> Thoroton Society, 1987, TTS, p. 133-154 (Published document). SNT398.

<13> M. Howard, 1987, The Early Tudor Country House: Architecture and Politics 1490-1550, p. 152-156 (Published document). SNT6387.