Historic Bedfordshire tea room building dating to 13th century with rare medieval cellar is carefully restored

A historic property dating back to the 13th century that features a rare vaulted medieval cellar has been carefully repaired and restored. The Grade II-listed property is now well on its way to being removed from the Heritage at Risk register too.

Priory House in Dunstable was restored in partnership between Historic England and the National Lottery Heritage Fund. A total of £1,142,730 in funding was provided by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, and £126,970 from Historic England.

The comprehensive project specifically targeted the historic building which is the centrepiece project in the Dunstable High Street Heritage Action Zone, run by Dunstable Town Council. The Priory House undercroft – a stone-lined and vaulted medieval cellar used for storage – is a rare and almost complete example of its kind from the 13th century.

It is suffering from environmental and structural issues, including excess dampness and flooding, with movement and cracking in the stonework.

Trudi Hughes, Historic England Heritage at Risk Surveyor, said: “We now understand all of the issues which have been causing concern over many years – including occasional falls of stone internally, periodic flooding, structural discontinuities in the building fabric, and an increasing inability for the building’s drainage to deal with increased rainfall. The archaeological research which has been carried out as part of this project has shone a helpful light on the surviving medieval fabric.” 

Conservation-accredited structural engineers The Morton Partnership are leading a multidisciplinary team of professionals, including contractors Messenger BCR and subcontractors Cliveden Conservation, who are working to sensitively repair the undercroft, protecting and retaining as much of the original 13th century material as possible.

The funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England will support further repair work necessary to conserve the medieval vaults, see the tearooms back in use at full capacity and the first-floor exhibition space refreshed and reopened for public events.

Robyn Llewellyn, Director, England, Midlands & East at The National Lottery Heritage Fund said: “We are delighted to be working with Historic England in supporting Dunstable Town Council with the urgent restoration of this exceptional Grade II* listed building. Thanks to National Lottery players, we're able to support important projects such as the necessary conservation and structural repairs of Priory House, ensuring that heritage is safeguarded for future generations." Completion of this work is planned for August 2024 when Priory House will be removed from the Heritage at Risk register and will be a vital focus of local community life once again.

Priory House is one of the oldest buildings in Dunstable, along with the Priory Church, and has had a varied history. It was built on the site of Dunstable Priory’s guest house for travellers.

It became a private house in 1545, and one of the first owners was the local Crawley family, who used part of the building to create an early mental health hospital. In 1743, the original stone vaulted hall was incorporated into a much larger house with the Georgian façade and interior details that can still be seen today.

By the 19th century, Priory House was owned by the Munt family, who built a hat factory next to it, on the site of the present gateway from High Street South. The factory was demolished in 1907 and since 1956, the site has been used as offices and is now a heritage centre and tea rooms.

Dunstable Town Mayor Cllr Liz Jones commented: "I am thrilled for the generous support from Historic England and The National Heritage Lottery Fund. Their contribution of over £1.2 million for the Priory House restoration project is a monumental step towards preserving our town's rich history.

"This funding secures the future of a cherished landmark on Dunstable’s High Street."

Sarah Tattersall, Conservation Accredited Engineer for The Morton Partnership, said: “Conservation works to the medieval undercroft of Priory House, have led to a much more detailed understanding of the historic building, alongside the complex structural and environmental demands that have been placed on it.

"We are delighted that the project has received funding from Historic England and The National Lottery Heritage Fund, for works to sensitively repair and conserve the vaults and to address the wider issues affecting the building and site at the centre of Dunstable’s High Street.”