Mount Grace Priory

Project Overview

This new café sits within the grounds of Mount Grace Priory, Northallerton, North Yorkshire. The priory is the most complete surviving Carthusian monastery in Britain, dating back to the
14th century. It comprises a small church, a later manor house and a ‘great cloister’ that is surrounded by a series of monk’s cells, originally designed for their residents to live in solitude. The timber structure references the traditional woodworking techniques, vernacular forms and traditional materials evidenced in the original priory. Its double-pitched roof form refers to the repeating pitched forms of the monks’ cells.

The eastern elevation is formed of an oak screen manufactured from unused 30-year-old oak boards, while the slate material for the roof and external walls was sourced from a reclaimed
stock of local slate, selected as a material requiring low levels of maintenance and easily replaced. The café is sited within metres of the scheduled ancient monument of the original Priory ruins and is part of a larger redevelopment of the grounds. It accommodates seating for 48 covers, 18 of which are inside and 30 outside, all with views to the ruins and newly replanted orchard, and includes a full commercial kitchen and accessible WC.

Awards:

RIBA Yorkshire Awards: (Shortlisted)

RICS North East Awards: Leisure and Tourism (Shortlisted)

IStructE Northern Counties: Best Medium Sized Projects Award Winner

North Yorkshire Moors Design Awards: Best Non Residential Development Win