In 1536, as part of the dissolution of the monasteries in England, Wales and Ireland, large parts of St Nicholas Priory were demolished, including the Priory church.
In the 1980s, archaeological excavation revealed the robbed trenches of the Church, filled with debris from the old buildings, including a large quantity of medieval inlaid tile.
We are running a community project to sort these fragments, and identify the tile patterns which occurred at the Priory. This can then be compared to patterns found at other Exeter sites such as the Cathedral. We will also be using 3D photogrammetry to make a record of some examples of tiles.
The drop in sessions run from 11am to 4pm and are free entry. Come and try your hand at some research and help us find out more about this interesting archive of medieval fragments.
Directions
St Nicholas Priory is on Mint Lane with walking access from Fore Street or Bartholomew Street West.
The nearest car park is Mary Arches Street, which is a five-minute walk. Exeter Central railway station is a ten-minute walk. The bus station is a 15-minute walk with many buses stopping on the High Street which is ten minutes away.
Access
Unfortunately, due to the nature of this historic building, there is no wheelchair access for our upstairs rooms.
Facilities
Our outdoor toilet block can be made available on request.
If you have any questions or concerns about your visit please email [email protected]