A History of Priory House

The Undercroft in Priory House

The beautiful Grade II* listed Priory House is built on the site of Dunstable Priory's guesthouse for travellers. The ground floor contains a splendid Thirteenth Century Groyne Vaulted Stone Ceiling and there is also an original Tudor fireplace.

On the dissolution of the monasteries the building became a private house from 1545. One of the earliest owners was the important local Crawley family who later owned Stockwood Park and who used part of the building as an early hospital for the mentally ill. In 1743 the original stone vaulted hall was incorporated into a much larger house with the Georgian facade and internal details we see today. By the nineteenth 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.

Since 1956 the building was occupied as offices, firstly by Dunstable Borough and South Bedfordshire District Councils and, more recently, by a private company. With the aid of a Heritage Lottery Grant, Dunstable Town Council has converted this magnificent piece of history and architecture into a Heritage and Tourist Information Centre.

Further information on the fascinating history of this building is available from the Tourist Information Centre.