Historic SiteEast MidlandsEnglish Heritage3.4
Free for everyone during advertised access. Any suggested donation is voluntary; parking and separately ticketed nearby attractions are excluded.
Arrive on foot, by bike or by public transport.
The pin is the village approach to Abbey Road. Continue about a mile on foot or by cycle along the bridleway; do not drive to the ruins.
Mattersey Priory stands beyond the village in the countryside beside the River Idle, the remains of a small house of Gilbertine canons founded in 1185. Much of what survives dates from rebuilding after a fire in 1279, including portions of the refectory, kitchen and ranges around the cloister. The modest scale reflects a community very different from the great abbeys, and the ruined walls reward a slow look at their former arrangement. Visitors repeatedly stress that the approach is a substantial part of the outing and that driving to the ruins causes problems. Park in Mattersey village, then walk or cycle along Abbey Road for about a mile; the final approach crosses private farmland with permission and uses a stile. There are no facilities at the priory.
Open daily 9am - 5pm (or dusk if earlier)
Daily 09:00-17:00, or dusk if earlier. No vehicle access along the approach to the priory.
The final approach is through a privately owned field with the landowner's permission and via a stile. Grazing animals may be present; no vehicle access.
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Not suitable for dogs
Walk or cycle about a mile from Mattersey village. No vehicle access; final private-field crossing is by permission and over a stile. Dogs are not allowed at the priory.
