Discover the oldest building in Exeter

Founded in 1087 by William the Conqueror, the centrally placed St Nicholas Priory is Exeter’s oldest building and a wonderful remnant of mediaeval history.

Exeter Today spoke to Jo Sinclair, the Vice Chair of the Exeter Historic Buildings Trust, to learn more about the role this fascinating building played in history and the community today.

Above: modern external view. Image: RAMM

According to Jo, historians have suggested that St Nicholas Priory may be the oldest building that’s still in use in Devon. 

The abbey was originally endowed with St Olave’s Church in Exeter, where monks were sent to serve. 

These monks established a new Benedictine monastic community and dedicated their church to St Nicholas.

This small community worshipped, studied, served the poor, and offered hospitality for over 500 years.

Above: historical external view. Image: RAMM

The abbey followed a typical cloister layout, with unique features like the church to the south and refectory to the north.

After the dissolution in 1536, the church and cloisters were demolished, and the remaining structures were repurposed into a large mansion before they were divided into separate dwellings in the 17th century.

In 1775, the Roman Catholic Mission leased a portion of the site, establishing a chapel and later a church and school.

The Diocese of Plymouth took ownership in 1877, but the Catholic presence ceased by 1959.

The buildings were later used by Exeter College of Art & Design until 1989 and were put on the market in 1991 due to deterioration. 

Jo explained: “The west wing and the north wing are the two surviving wings. The west wing was restored quite heavily by Exeter City Council in 1913, but there have obviously been a lot of changes from 1087 to today. Both wings have had different floors put in over the centuries.”

Above: modern kitchen. Image: RAMM

After owning the building for over 100 years, Exeter City Council formally handed St Nicholas Priory over to the Exeter Historic Buildings Trust in 2018, solidifying its status as a community asset.

Despite St Nicholas Priory’s impressive historical legacy, the building is not as well known as you might expect. 

Jo said: “Our volunteers still get a lot of comments from people saying, ‘Gosh, I never knew this was here. When we first opened the west wing to the public in 2018, we were getting an average of about maybe 40 visitors a month. Now, we can take from 30 to 40 a week.

“We are particularly busy on a Monday when the RAMM museum is shut and people and tourists are looking for things to do. We’ve also had more visitors ever since we got included in the Redcoats circuit.

“It was run as an offshoot of the museum, but it's quite tucked away and not well signposted, so we have taken a lot of steps to signpost it and create a social media presence.” 

St Nicholas Priory does not have any staff and is run entirely by volunteers. 

Jo said: “There were five people who all worked a mixture of hours and between one and two days a week. If it wasn’t for the staff we had and the work they did, we wouldn’t have such a strong footing to go forward.”

Above: historical parlour. Image: RAMM

Jo also explained that prospective volunteers do not necessarily need a knowledge of or passion for history.

“We have a modern medicinal garden, so we need people for gardening. We need people with basic DIY skills because buildings of that age are always in need of repair. I’m not talking about people who know a lot about historical buildings but someone who can come and replace lightbulbs.

“We’ve got quite a few volunteers now, and we’re really grateful to them.”

The trust is also keen to take on student volunteers from the University of Exeter and Exeter College.

One of the volunteers is currently pursuing a PhD in molecular biology and uses their volunteering as a way to enjoy something less intensive. 

The University of Exeter even runs an internship program where students can gain highly sought-after heritage work experience while being paid by the university.

Jo explained that although the future of St Nicholas Priory is money dependent, they are actively in conversation with Historic England about implementing new ideas. 

“Our ambition is to show the evolution of and different uses of the building from mediaeval times.”

If you would like to experience the wonder of St Nicholas Priory yourself and relive history, you can attend one of the regular fundraising events held there, which include mediaeval music evenings, poetry readings, and historical re enactments. 

The next events are a Great British Trees exhibition from August 10 until August 26, and a bake sale on August 11.

If you are interested in volunteering at the building, you can contact the trust at volunteers@nicholaspriory.org.

St Nicholas Priory is open to the public every Sunday 1pm until 4pm and Monday 10am until 4pm.

The Oldest Building In Exeter • St Nicholas Priory