Dunstable Priory

Lose Yourself To The Religious World At Dunstable Priory!

Although Bedfordshire and the surrounding counties is full of quaint little old churches, I guarantee that you have never seen anything like Dunstable Priory before and this is why you absolutely must visit it when in the area. Unlike the other old religious buildings in the area, the Dunstable Priory was actually a monastery that was established in the area by Henry I in 1132. It was an Augustine monastery and was open for use up until the 20th Century. Now, however, you can visit it any day of the year, apart from Christmas Day, and take a tour to learn all about the monks and the building itself.

Dunstable Priory was on the same land as the Priory Church of St Peter, which is still there today. It is neither as grand nor as big as it used to be, but you can still get a gist of just what life would have been like serving God in those buildings. There also used to be a palace in the vicinity of the priory and church call the Kingsbury Palace, which was where Henry I used to stay when he was in Dunstable. This particular priory is also where the annulment of the marriage of Henry VIII to Catherine of Aragon was performed, so it has an amazing historical significance that few other priories and churches can boast.

The architecture is identifiable as Norman, unlike many of the buildings in the county. It is special because it took eighty years to build Dunstable Priory and the church there. As a result, there is a range of styles across the buildings so it is fascinating to those who love art and architecture as well as those that are interested in history. One or the other, or maybe both, will fascinate you and give you a major reason to be glad that you visited!ore and this is actually what draws people back time and time again!