The Corpus of ROMANESQUE SCULPTURE in Britain & Ireland
Museum, formerly Cluniac priory
Museum, formerly Cluniac priory
Prittlewell is a suburb of Southend-on-Sea, on its northern outskirts. The Priory was a Cluniac foundation, founded c.1110 and dissolved in 1536, after which it was converted to domestic use. The priory and grounds were presented to the town in 1917, and opened as a museum in 1922. The only standing remains of the monastic buildings are the S and W ranges of the cloister, which stood to the S of the piriory church. These formed the basis of the domestic building to which it was converted after the Dissolution. The W range dates from the 15thc and include the priors' lodging; which the late-12thc refectory occupied the S range. It was restored and partly rebuilt in the early 20thc, but the N wall is largely original and includes a doorway and a rebuilt window, described below.