Religious building in earlier year (6)
I believe the answer is:
priory
'religious building' is the definition.
'earlier year' is the wordplay.
'earlier' becomes 'prior' ('prior' can be a synonym of 'earlier').
'year' becomes 'y'.
'prior'+'y'='PRIORY'
'in' is the link.
(Other definitions for priory that I've seen before include "Convent subject to an abbey" , "where all men are brothers?" , "Abbotless monastery" , "Small monastery or nunnery" , "in earlier years" .)