Issue 36 2023 - Journal - Page 40
Restoring the rare medieval
undercroft at Dunstable’s
Priory House
Cliveden Conservation is working alongside Messenger and The Morton Partnership to carry out
restoration work to the medieval undercroft at Dunstable’s Grade II* listed Priory House, currently
on the Historic England’s Heritage at Risk register.
The undercroft at Priory House, constructed of vaulted
stonework, is a rare and almost complete example of its
kind from the 13th century. In September 2022, a project
began to safeguard the historically significant structure
from environmental and structural issues including
movement and cracking in the stonework.
The repair of Priory House is being run by Dunstable High
Street Heritage Action Zone, in partnership with
Dunstable Town Council and Historic England. They will
be working with structural engineers, The Morton Partnership, building contractor Messenger and Cliveden
Conservation to sensitively repair the undercroft, protecting and retaining as much of the original 13th century
material as possible.
Trudi Hughes, Historic England Heritage at Risk
Surveyor, said: “The really exciting thing is that the undercroft,
about which we knew very little, other than it was reported to
be 13th century, now reveals itself as the ground floor and part
of the first floor of a 13th century building, with evidence of
partitions. There’s a lot more medieval fabric within that 18th
and 19th century shell than anybody ever thought before. It’s important that we save, restore and protect this much-loved building
for local people and visitors to continue to explore and enjoy.”
As specialist contractor, Cliveden Conservation is
focusing on the conservation and repair of the stonework
and the external render. The first stages of the works will
involve investigating the deterioration of the clunch stone
in the undercroft from above and below the vaults to determine the most effective and appropriate method of
conservation treatment.
Sarah Tattersall, Conservation Accredited Engineer for
The Morton Partnership said: “The project team have
worked hard to understand the causes of the complex structural
and environmental issues that have resulted in deterioration to
the stonework, through research, investigation and monitoring.
On the basis of this detailed understanding, proposals have
been developed to conserve and sensitively repair the fabric,
sourcing “clunch” stone from the local quarry at Totternhoe.
We are delighted that works are about to commence.”
Alongside the repair and conservation work, new
research will record the rare features of the medieval undercroft and look to more fully understand its relationship
with Dunstable Priory. Works are expected to take
approximately 10 months.
Find out more information
www.dunstable.gov.uk/dunstable-hshaz/
prioryhousegallery/
The Restoration of Priory House, Dunstable - YouTube
