Norton Priory Museum and Gardens

Norton Priory Museum and Gardens is a 47-acre historic site that contains both the remains of a 14th century abbey complex and an 18th century country house. The site is considered to be a monastic site of international importance, and is the most excavated monastic site in Europe. It opened as a museum in 1982.

Buttress was appointed to redevelop and extend to create a space that told the story of the Priory to its fullest and better connecting the Priory’s ruins, the museum and the gardens to improve visitor orientation around the site.

A glazed link building and entrance was conceived that replaces a previously obscure approach and that exposes elements of museum and its artefacts from the exterior, inviting visitors to explore the rest of the complex.

The new welcome space gives visitors access to the undercroft, first floor and ground floor exhibitions, café as well as the priory ruins via the remains of the entrance to the old country house. A twice life-size statue of St Christopher, considered to be the largest and most impressive example of sculpture surviving from the 14th century, was also relocated into the lobby to welcome 'travelling' visitors.

The project also saw the undercroft – the only part of the priory still standing – incorporated into the existing museum building. This involved building a gallery space that sits above the undercroft, offering visitors views across the remains and gardens. The gallery was built from natural, high-quality materials to ensure that the new, contemporary structure complemented the surrounding historic environment.

The transformed and extended museum building creates a greater sense of cohesion between the museum and the archaeological remains, while offering an inviting and engaging space for visitors.