The priory was founded in 1160 by Gervase Paganel, Lord of Dudley, in memory of his father. It was established as a dependency of the Cluniac Priory of Much Wenlock and was dedicated to Saint James.
The priory was built from local limestone, quarried from nearby Wren's Nest.
Dudley Priory was closed by Henry VIII in the 1530's during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The fishpools near The Priory were drained when Priory Hall was built in 1825. During the 1930’s, The Priory were restored to their current form, and the grounds became a park.
A surviving piece of one of these enlargements is an archway to Lady Chapel area of the Priory, built in the 14th century, dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It is believed that the Lady Chapel was constructed by the Sutton family.
Dudley Castle is in the far background.
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