Worksop Priory has had a full and varied history.
On March 3rd 1103, an initial grant of monies and lands was made which founded the great Priory of Our Lady and St Cuthbert at Radford, near Worksop. The Canons of St Augustine were to establish Worksop Priory for the worship of God and the service of the local community.
In later years Worksop Priory was to become a famous centre of learning and piety.
Sheffield was in those days an unimportant village – and when it needed a church, it was the Canons from Worksop Priory who went to build it.
On November 15th 1539, the King's Commissioner demanded entry to the Priory at the Gatehouse. He had brought the order for closure. The Prior, William Stokes and sixteen Canons were to be pensioned off. Over two thousand acres of land, the buildings and the treasures were to be seized by the Crown. All the fine buildings were to be dismantled.
Over time most of the former monastic buildings were plundered for their stone, however the nave of the church was saved for use as a parish church, and the early 14th century gatehouse was later used as a school. Extensive restoration and enlargements of the church began in the mid 19th century and continued through the 20th century.
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