Description

CORNWORTHY
SX85NW CORNWORTHY
6/82 Priory Gatehouse
9.2.61

I

Gatehouse of Augustinian priory. Circa 1400 gatehouse of the priory of
Augustinian nuns which was founded here between 1205 and 1238.
Dressed shale rubble with granite dressings. Now roofless but with stone
vaulted carriageway
Plan: The circa 1400 gatehouse is all that survives above ground of the
early C13 priory, although there are distinct remains of walls to the south
east. The outer side of the gatehouse faces west. The main carriageway to
the right and a smaller footway through to the left of the carriageway.
Towards the back on the right hand side there is a stair turret, entered
from inside the main carriageway. There is a garderobe in the right hand
front corner (south west) of the gatehouse. The walls of the chamber above
the archways rise to gables at either side, the upper courses of which have
fallen. There was formerly a lower range on the left (north) side and an
adjoining wall on the right hand side at the front (south west).
Exterior: The west front has a large carriageway to the right with dressed
slate chamfered joists and a moulded granite 4-centred arch on moulder
corbels at the springing. Above the carriageway a small niche with an
unmoulded 3-centred granite head. To left of the west front the footway
has a chamfered shale round arch and a loop above to the right.
The opposite inside east elevation is similar but in reverse and without
the niche and loop, although there is a small loop to the left of the
carriageway. The south side has partly fallen. The doorway at the top of
the turret to the first floor chamber is now exposed to the exterior.
The north sided wall shows signs of the former lower range from which there
is a squint to the footway.
All the exterior walls have putlog holes.
Interior: The carriageway a stone vault with chamfered granite transverse
and longitudinal ribs, like a wagon roof, and a moulded granite wall plate
and fleuron bosses. The footway has a quadripartite vault with granite
ribs and carved bosses. The doorway inside the carriageway to the stair
turret has a moulded granite 2-centred arch with cusped spandrels; and a
stone newel stair. The garderobe to the first floor chamber has a
rectangular shaft.
Scheduled Ancient Monument No. 409

Listing NGR: SX8218055601

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17527148

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings
• 
  County Durham (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England) by Elizabeth Williamson Nikolaus Pevsner(1983-03-11)
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Old House Handbook 2 Books Bundle Collection (Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair,Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability)
• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)