Thicket Priory is a historic estate near York in North Yorkshire, England, with roots as a medieval Benedictine nunnery founded around 1190. Today, it serves as an exclusive wedding and events venue in private ownership, alongside a modern Carmelite monastery on the grounds.
A Benedictine priory for nuns operated on the site from the late 12th century until its dissolution in 1539 during Henry VIII’s reforms; the original buildings were largely demolished by 1850. Local devotion to “Our Lady of Thicket” dates to this era, and the estate passed to families like the Askes, linked to the Pilgrimage of Grace rebellion.
he current Grade II-listed house, designed by architect Edward Blore in Jacobethan style, was built between 1844 and 1847 for Rev. Joseph Dunnington-Jefferson. It features a square plan with a garden facade, tower, chapel, and ashlar dressings on orange-red brick.
 
Interesting facts...
Nuns still live here. Since 1955, Carmelite nuns have occupied part of the site, building a new monastery in 2009 within the walled garden.
Archaeological digs uncovered bones of the original 12th-century Cistercian nuns, now marked by a lawn cross near the modern Carmelite chapel. Archiepiscopal records note frequent visits to address “wayward nuns,” hinting at scandals!