Thanks to further successful funding applications to The National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England, the restoration of Priory House is now scheduled for completion in summer 2026.
Since September 2022, this Grade II* listed building has been undergoing extensive repair work, with the initial work set to be focused on the Undercroft. Originally, the project was expected to take nine months. Since then, Priory House has revealed a number of challenges and interesting finds along the way, from straw platting (from its time as a hat factory), a clay pipe and more. However, the extent of urgent repairs and making good has far exceeded original expectations.
Whilst completion might still seem a long way off, the partial removal of scaffolding on the High Street façade, gives an indication of the outstanding work and craftmanship that has been carried out to date. Inside, two of the stone Undercroft bays have been fully repaired and the internal east wall is being stabilised, both essential and critical steps forward towards reopening the building to the public.
Dunstable Town Council remains dedicated to ensuring that Priory House continues to be a vital part of the town’s High Street and heritage. We appreciate your continued interest and will keep providing updates on our website as progress continues.
If you have any specific queries relating to the project please email info@dunstable.gov.uk
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The building passed into the ownership of Dunstable Town Council in 2003, and is currently on Historic England’s Heritage At Risk register, primarily relating to the deterioration of the stonework in the Undercroft/vault. Priory House is a Grade II* Listed Building (List Entry Number 1114593).
The listing description describes Priory House as:
“C18, cement rendered C19. Mansard Welsh slate roof. 2 storeys and attics. 4 round-headed windows with archivolts and keyblocks. Door surround of architrave, consoles and pediment. Parapet. Original garden front of good design. Red brick, stone dressings and in-and-out quoins. Ground floor windows in architraves, let floor windows in eared archivolts. Pedimented Roman Doric doorway. Molded cornice, parapet with stone coping. Pedimented slight central projection. On site of Priory Guesthouse. Reputed to contain C13 vaulted room.”
The Priory House restoration project commenced as part of the Dunstable High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ). It was intended that this would include repair works to the Undercroft and the front façade. The repair work started on 12 September 2022, with the hope it would run for approximately nine to ten months. However, the work has uncovered several unforeseen issues since September 2022.
The Morton Partnership are leading the work on Priory House. A number of specialists are involved including: Walker Associates, Tobit Curtis Associates, Weldon Stone, Philip Waller Consulting, Odgers Conservation, Clarkes Quarry, HB Archaeology and Conservation Limited, Caroe Architecture, Geckoella, Safety First, Shakespeare Pullen and Slade, Salus Fire Safety, Martin Thomas Associates and Andrea Kirkham Conservation Ltd. Messenger BCR and Cliveden Conservation are undertaking the repair works.
In 2022 we appointed the contractor Messenger BCR, and work started on 12 September 2022.
At that time the cost of the works had come in at £986,752
These costs were covered as follows:
£540,000 – Dunstable Town Council (£215,000 from a Public Works Board Loan)
£446,752 – High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) grant (Government, managed by Historic England)
Since September 2022 the work on site has revealed unforeseen issues and three grants have been secured including two Heritage at Risk grants (HAR 1 and HAR 2) and a National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) grant.
£318,374.00 – HAR 1
£126,970.00- HAR 2
£1,142,730.00- NLHF
The latter two grants were secured in September 2023. Find out more in this new article
Since November 2023, further hidden challenges and unknown issues, (which could not have been foreseen until site work commenced) have been revealed. The Morton Partnership (Conservation Accredited Structural Engineers) and the project team are tackling the challenges ahead and are busy developing the ongoing repair methodology.