St Olave's Priory

St Olave's Priory preserves the remains of a small Augustinian community founded around 1216 and dedicated to Norway's royal saint, Olaf. Its principal survival is the fourteenth-century refectory undercroft, where brick vaulting rests on Purbeck marble columns. After the monastery's suppression, parts became a private house, and the undercroft itself was later converted into a cottage occupied until 1902. Fragments of the church and cloister remain around this unusually complete medieval room. Visitors appreciate the compact site but sometimes find the undercroft locked, so it is sensible to confirm interior access if that is the main reason for travelling. Parking is permitted on the left-hand side of the neighbouring Priory Farm Restaurant car park; return to its entrance and follow the signed grass path from the road. Steps descend into the undercroft, and the grounds are uneven. Dogs on leads may enter the grounds, but only assistance dogs are admitted inside.