Watton Abbey
WATTON ABBEY, CHURCH LANE
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1161550
- Date first listed:
- 12-Feb-1952
- List Entry Name:
- Watton Abbey
- Statutory Address:
- WATTON ABBEY, CHURCH LANE
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Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2004-03-13
- Reference:
- IOE01/12050/16
- Rights:
- © Mr Les Waby. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- I
- List Entry Number:
- 1161550
- Date first listed:
- 12-Feb-1952
- Date of most recent amendment:
- 07-Sept-1987
- List Entry Name:
- Watton Abbey
- Statutory Address 1:
- WATTON ABBEY, CHURCH LANE
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- WATTON ABBEY, CHURCH LANE
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- East Riding of Yorkshire (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Watton
- National Grid Reference:
- TA 02344 49798
Details
TA 04 NW
15/69
WATTON
CHURCH LANE (north side, off)
Watton Abbey
(Formerly listed as Abbey House)
12.2.52
GV
I
Prior's house, now dwelling, and water channel beneath. C15 with C14 range to north with earlier origins and later additions and alterations including house of C19. For the Gilbertine Order. Pinkish-red brick in English garden wall bond with stone dressings and limestone ashlar with purple brick dressings and Welsh slate roof. 3-storey, 3-bay centre, of which left bay is a 2½ storey canted window, with 4-stage octagonal turrets to angles and rear, and with 3-storey, single-bay gable-ended range set back to left.
Centre block: double-chamfered ashlar plinth. C19 single-storey porch to third bay with 4-centred double plank doors within moulded ashlar surround and under hollow-chamfered hoodmould with label stops. Above, a boarded ashlar niche for a statue. Ashlar copings. To first bay a 5-sided ashlar canted window has slender angle buttresses with offsets; to each side of each storey are 2-cinquefoil-light straight-headed windows within double-hollow-chamfered surrounds and under hollow-chamfered hoodmoulds with label stops. Between floors are arcades of 4 blind ogeed-trefoil panels to each bay. Moulded cornice with gargoyles to angles. Decorative parapet, moulded cornice, hipped roof. Centre bays have 2-light Perpendicular windows with quoined and chamfered ashlar jambs under hollow-chamfered hoodmoulds, with pointed heads to ground and first floors and with straight heads to second floor. First-floor sill band. Embattled turrets have small lancet lights in rubbed brick, double-chamfered surrounds to front, with outer lights oblong and under rubbed brick hoodmoulds with label stops. Above these to left side of left turret but still to ground floor a pair of lancets in chamfered ashlar surround under hoodmould. First-stage band. To first and second floors of turrets are similar pairs of twin-light lancet windows in flat-headed ashlar surrounds under hoodmoulds, that to first floor on left turret interrupts former opening with brick hoodmould. Some slits. Right turret has remains of brick Lombard table. Both turrets are ornamental with purple brick diaper patterning. Returns: to right return a 4-centred arch over stream which marks the end of a channel with chamfered ribs to roof, (see below). Otherwise both ground and first floors have 2-light pointed Perpendicular windows with quoined and chamfered ashlar jambs under hollow-chamfered hoodmoulds. To second floor 5-stepped-cinquefoil-light windows to each return under hollow-chamfered hoodmould. Ashlar copings to gable. Left range has angle buttresses with offsets. Similar 2-light pointed window to ground floor. Remains of first-floor band. 5-cinquefoil-light, straight-headed window in double-hollow-chamfered surround and under hollow-chamfered hoodmould with shield stops. To second floor a 2-ogeed-trefoil-light window under hoodmould interrupts chamfered cornice. Gable is recessed slightly. Rear and side stacks.
Interior Kitchen (to left range), 2-bay undercroft with single-chamfered ribs to groin vaults and to south-west corner the remains of a spiral staircase. To main block a spiral staircase to south-east turret with roll-moulded brick handrail. Otherwise main open-well, newel, closed-string staircase c1700 with onion-on-ball balusters, newel posts with ball finials and drop-upturned-bell finials to first-floor level. From first to second floor an C18 open-well, newel, closed-string staircase with slender onion-on-vase balusters. From second to third a rod balustrade. Canted bay windows have 4-centred arches into windows with traceried panels, that to ground floor with brattishing. To ground floor, windows have cavetto and ovolo-moulded surrounds and pilasters between. Bathroom off hall has C19 lavatory and sink with floral transfer decoration,'County Council Closet The Lateslas Washdown Closet no 177396'.
Tunnel under house runs to bridge approximately10 metres to north of house with 4-centred arch, inscribed and dated 'IM 1723'.
Priory founded c1150 by Eustace Fitzjohn for the Gilbertine Order.
Pevsner N, Yorkshire, York and The East Riding, 1978, pp 360-1.
W H St John Hope, 'The Gilbertine Priory of Watton In The East Riding of Yorkshire, The Archaeological Journal, March 1901, Vol LVIII, No 299, pp 1-34.
'Watton Abbey, Yorkshire', Country Life,2 November 1935, pp 458-463.
G Oliver, The History of Beverley, 1829, pp 520-533.
Listing NGR: TA0234149794
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 167881
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Yorkshire - York and the East Riding, (1972), 360-1
Country Life in 2 November, (1935), 458-463
The Archaeological Journal in March, Vol. 58, (1901), 1-34
Oliver, George, The History of Beverley, (1829), 520-533
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 10-Jun-2026 at 00:53:12.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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