The Priory

This is one of Stradbroke’s longest occupied sites. There has almost certainly been a dwelling on this site since mediaeval times, as moated sites such as this were nearly all created during that period. It would probably have originally been a  farmhouse built of timber and wattle daub or “clay lump” with a thatched roof, and was unlikely to have survived for more than a few hundred years. There are mediaeval timbers incorporated into the present building, which probably came from the original house.

There is no real evidence that it was ever a Priory, although the land may have been owned by the Priory at Eye before the reformation.

The present building. The dating of the main (brick) fireplace to the late 1400’s early 1500’s would seem to indicate that a new farmhouse replaced the old one around that time and was probably built more centrally on the site.

This “new” house forms the basis of today’s building and was probably  a two up two down farmhouse typical of the early  1500’s. The line of the original east gable can still be seen today in the attic space showing that the house had a simple pitched roof when first built. Over the next 250 years the house was added to by extending on the east side and was probably two or more dwellings and / or outbuildings.

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At the end of the 1700’s and the beginning of the 1800’s the entire building was turned into one large  house ( when seen from the front - when seen from the back the three previous buildings  can be clearly seen)

Two large gables were added to the front west wing, the furthest of which was extended across to the back of the house making a cross wing.

The gables at the front were placed some 12 feet out from the wall of the original building enabling a staircase to be installed. That original wall was then stripped off and the exposed posts were panelled over to form typically Georgian arches.

All the windows were replaced in a gothic style with ogee arches and square leaded lights. Very little has changed (structurally) since then although building fashions were followed as can be seen in the photograph below when in the late 1800’s, conservatories were added and trellising covered the whole house.

Previous owners included Dr Mayhew, who was Stradbroke’s doctor in the early 1800’s and it is thought that this is where the name of Doctors Lane originated. The house remained in the Mayhew family for over 100 years.  After Dr Mayhew’s death in 1861, his unmarried daughter Lucinda Mayhew continued to live at the Priory being joined in the late 1800’s by her widowed sister Louisa (Mrs Cooper) Louisa remained at the Priory until her death in 1921 at the age of 103   

 Mike Readman 2011