Wriothesley transformed the abbey into a grand new courtyard house, reusing many of the monastic buildings.
A large gatehouse was built across the nave of the monastic church. Adjacent to it was the porter’s lodge, with a principal apartment above. An 18th century plan suggests that this room was subsequently used as a small theatre, perhaps where some of Shakespeare’s plays were performed.
Slender columns still exist in the gatehouse range, with traces of vaulting above for the roof, showing that the nave was originally divided into seven bays. Each bay originally had lancet windows, but these were later replaced by square Tudor windows.
Several of the large church windows were rebuilt as brick fireplaces, and the corner staircase towers were heightened with battlements.
Disclaimer
The text and pictures on this page are derived from the 'Heritage Unlocked' series of guidebooks published in 2004. We intend to review, update and enhance the content in the near future as part of the Portico project, whose objective is to provide information on the history, significance, research background and sources for all English Heritage properties.
