The
inside of the Church
The outside of the Church
The remains of the other Priory buildings
The outside of the Church
This sketch is of the east end of the present Church, having been restored in 1855. The pier on the left was tidied up in 1670 and this remains. While many of the features are Norman, the pointed window openings herald a new architectural style.
The lower blind arcading has a lightness and delicacy quite different from true Norman work.
During the 1855 restoration the west end of the Church was rebuilt to have its exterior match that of the 1216 east end. (Internally the west wall had considerable money spent on it so to match the 1216 interior only subsequently to be almost totally obscured by the massive plain wooden box of an organ.)
Reference - W Douglas Simpson: Coldingham Priory: A Famous Border Monastery, Proceedings of Northumberland and Durham Archaeological Society, 1927.
The east end of the Church with its three windows can be located in this model of the complex at the end of the 13th century.
Seen in this photography, beyond the east end of the Church, is the Chapter House with its large window. This was the business centre of the monastery.
Acknowledgement - Model crafted by Q.E.D. Coldstream
