Priory Church of St. Peter, Thurgarton

The Priory Church of St Peter stands in Thurgarton, a village in Nottinghamshire. It began as a priory built for Canons Regular, known as Black Canons for their black robes. The site lies in a sheltered valley beside a stream and natural spring, with nearby supplies of wood and stone. After the Dissolution, the priory became a private estate, and much of the original structure was demolished in the late 18th century. Only the cellars, one aisle, and the tower remain from the medieval church. The present church was restored in 1853 by Thomas Chambers Hine, preserving what little survived. The priory once ranked among the wealthier monasteries, with an annual income of £259 9s. 4d. recorded in the Valor Ecclesiasticus. King Henry VIII granted its lands partly to Trinity College, Cambridge, and partly to William Cooper. The Cooper family lived there until the estate passed to John Gilbert, who took the Cooper name by Act of Parliament. Thurgarton Priory house, rebuilt in 1777, later served as the Bishop of Southwell’s palace from 1884 to 1904. The church’s parish registers date from 1721, though earlier records were lost in 1780. Visitors find a Grade I listed church built from remnants of the priory. The tower and surviving aisle belong to the original 12th-century structure, while the rest dates from the 19th-century restoration. The church shares its parish with three nearby churches: St Mary’s in Bleasby, St James’ in Halloughton, and St Michael’s in Hoveringham. The peaceful valley setting, with its stream and old monastic cellars, adds to the quiet atmosphere. The church’s history is visible in its architecture and the names of its medieval priors, listed on a plaque inside.