Craswall Priory, Craswall, Herefordshire

Photograph taken 26 May 2004 © Helmut Schulenburg. Source Historic England Archive ref: 355313

These are the remains of St Mary's Priory. It was founded in c1225 by Walter de Lacy. The priory belonged to the French Order of Grandmont and is unique in retaining its Grandmont ground plan in spite of centuries of natural decay. Because its Mother House, or ruling church, was in France it is referred to as an Alien Priory. During the Hundred Years War with France in 1341 Edward III appointed a crown custodian to watch over the monks and to make sure they were not spying for the enemy. During the reign of Henry VII it survived the general suppression of alien monasteries and continued until 1462. In 1441 it had been given to God's House, Cambridge which was afterwards united to Christ's College.

Location

Herefordshire Craswall

Period

Medieval (Middle Ages) (1066 - 1484)

Themes

A nunnery was first documented here in 603. A monastery was founded during the abbacy of Aldhelm (c675-705). It became Benedictine in the reign of Edgar (959–975) and remained so until dissolved in 1539. The final Abbey Church was built circa 1160-70 and had 13th/14th and 15th century additions. The 431 feet (131 m) tall spire, collapsed in a storm around 1500. The west tower fell around 1550. As a result of these two collapses, less than half of the original building stands today. The abbey was closed at the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539 by Henry VIII. It was sold, with all its lands, to William Stumpe, a rich merchant. He gave the abbey church to the town for continuing use as a parish church, and filled the abbey buildings with twenty looms for his cloth-weaving enterprise.
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Craswall Priory, Craswall, Herefordshire

Location

Period

Themes

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