One only has to glance at a map of this part of Lenton and see names such as Abbey Street, Abbey Bridge, Cloister Street, Priory Street, Old Church Street, Friary Close, Friar Street and The Friary to realise that this is an area of some historical religious significance.

Even today, the presence of a branch of the Nazareth House organisation on the corner of Priory Street is another constant reminder of the area's continuing community caring. Traffic though, speeds by here on its way to and from Nottingham city centre with barely a glance and few passers by will be aware of the history and former glory that once graced the streets. At a busy cross roads just a few yards away, a small plaque on a stone wall proclaims "Lenton Priory Park".

Once within the walls of the park, the speeding traffic could be a million miles away and it is though we had stepped back in time with a church appearing, seemingly tucked away between the trees. This is the Priory Church of St Anthony and a notice board gives a concise potted history as follows:
"This church was founded during the second half of the 12th century (about 1170) as the chapel of St Anthony's hospital which stood in the courtyard of the great Lenton Priory. The hospital was established by the monks for the care and cure of the sick poor, particularly those suffering from "St Anthony's fire", a distressing skin disease, similar to erysipelas, an epidemic of which swept the country at that time.
This little church was built for their exclusive use."

The information board about the church continues:
"When King Henry VIII dissolved the Priory in 1538 the villagers transferred their parish altar, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, from the Priory Nave into this small church. The church then became known as "Holy Trinity Church". The building remained the parish church until 1842, when the present fine parish church was built on Church Street midway between Old Lenton and New Lenton. The title and parochial status was transferred to the new building. The roof of the nave of this old church was removed and the chancel was converted into a mortuary chapel. Following an increase in population in the 1880's it was decided to restore the nave and bring this "Mother" church back into use. As the title of Holy Trinity had been transferred to the new Parish Church, this church reverted to its original dedication of St Anthony.
St Anthony founded monasticism in the deserts of northern Egypt. He lived from 251 to 356 A.D., dying at the age of 105."

Very little of the Lenton Priory remains today but where Old Church Street meets Priory Street (running left to right in this image) an area of grass has been fenced off. This was the site of the priory and there is an excellent article detailing the history and also including a site map at The Lenton Listener.

A closer look at the grassed area reveals the remnant of a stone column which contrasts sharply with the surrounding buildings and even more so with the high rise blocks in the distance in the centre of Nottingham. Many of the properties in this area now house students attending the Nottingham University or the Queens Medical Centre, the first purpose-built teaching hospital in the UK, both of which are nearby. I find a strange irony in the fact that there is still a hospital here after all these centuries since the one founded by the monks.

But this is all that remains of what was once one of the greatest and most important religious houses in the Midlands - the base of a Norman column. The Nottinghamshire History and Archaeology web site gives a little more information about Lenton Priory and is a good background to our exploration of the Monk's Way which will continue with a look at Beauvale Priory.