Scheduled MonumentsEnglandDunstable Priory

Dunstable Priory

England
List entry 1004676
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1004676
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
2.03 hectares
Grid reference
TL0210121822
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

Dunstable Priory is a Augustinian priory founded in 1131 by Henry I at Dunstable in Bedfordshire, established on the site of a former Roman settlement. The priory became one of the most important Augustinian houses in medieval England, housing a community of canons regular and acquiring considerable lands and influence across the Midlands. The surviving remains, principally the nave of the priory church, demonstrate the grand scale of the original Romanesque and Early Gothic architecture, with the church's impressive proportions reflecting the house's wealth and status. Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the sixteenth century, the nave was preserved for parish use while other monastic buildings fell into ruin, and the site remains significant for understanding both medieval religious life and the later development of Dunstable itself.

Dunstable Priory is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1004676. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Dunstable Priory?

Dunstable Priory is a Augustinian priory founded in 1131 by Henry I at Dunstable in Bedfordshire, established on the site of a former Roman settlement. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1004676.

Who is responsible for protecting Dunstable Priory?

Dunstable Priory is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1004676.

What other scheduled monuments are near Dunstable Priory?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including A medieval warren on Dunstable Downs (1.8 km), Site of Roman villa E of church (3.3 km), Barn and fishpond and moated site with dovecote at Church Farm (5.4 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Dunstable Priory

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Dunstable Priory's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
First month just £4.99, then £9.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Dunstable Priory report
Or see a real report first
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Dunstable Priory

Dunstable Priory stands on White Chalk Subgroup, bedrock that formed in the Maastrichtian. The rock here is chalk.