Consecrated in 1169 and constructed of stonework from nearby Hadrian's Wall, this monastery which housed monks of the Augustinian order was completed around 1200. Lanercost is a ruin of vast proportions, but there were only about a dozen Canons who lived here.

King Edward I visited on several occasions, remaining over the winter of 1306 with a company so large that they depleted the priory's resources. The priory was attacked by the Scots four times in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. As a result of these attacks much of the priory's land was sold to pay for repairs. One of Lanercost's most lasting and notable features is the Lanercost Chronicles, written by the resident Canons, which was translated by Sir Herbert Maxwell and is frequently quoted in historical analyses of the Anglo-Scottish Wars.

The Canons were ejected during the dissolution of the monasteries in 1536 and the property was confiscated by the Crown, then purchased by Sir Thomas Dacre. Dacre turned Lanercost into a private house. When this branch of the Dacre family died out and Lanercost reverted to the Crown.

The church that remains today was created by partitioning off a section of the previous nave.

View more photographs of Lanercost Priory at Travels in the UK, a travelogue by the Webmaster: Lanercost Priory Photo Gallery.