Binham Priory
| Binham Priory | |
|---|---|
 The Priory Church of St Mary and the Holy Cross | |
  Location within Norfolk | |
| General information | |
| Type | Priory |
| Location | Binham, Norfolk |
| Coordinates | 52°55′12″N 0°56′43″E / 52.91997°N 0.94523°E |
| Completed | Mid-Thirteenth Century |
| Owner | Managed by English Heritage |
| Website | |
| Binham Priory English Heritage | |
St Mary's Priory, Binham, or Binham Priory, is a ruined Benedictine priory located in the village of Binham in the English county of Norfolk.
Today the nave of the much larger priory church has become the Church of St. Mary and the Holy Cross and is still used as a place of worship. The remains of the priory are in the care of English Heritage.[1] The abbey's west face is the first example in England of gothic bar tracery, predating Westminster Abbey by a decade.[2] According to English Heritage, Binham Priory's "history is one of almost continuous scandal."[3] Many of its priors proved to be unscrupulous and irresponsible.
History
[edit]
Binham Priory was founded in 1091 as a cell of St Albans Abbey at the behest of Peter de Valognes, who was granted the manor of Binham after the Norman Conquest.[4] The Priory took around 150 years to be completed and was finished in the mid-Thirteenth Century.[5] Originally it had 8 monks, rising to 13 or 14 in the 14th century before falling back to 6 immediately before its suppression 1539.[6]
In 1212, Binham Priory was besieged by Robert Fitzwalter over an argument between Fitzwalter and the Abbey of St. Albans. The siege was lifted by the forces of King John I.[5]
In 1285, King Edward I visited the priory, likely whilst on pilgrimage to Walsingham Priory.[5]
In 1381, the records of the priory were burned during the Great Revolt, this action was led by a local man, John Lister, who was an organiser of the rebellion in Norfolk.[5]
A Ley tunnel is said to run from the buildings to an unknown destination and it is reported that many years ago a fiddler decided to explore these passages; he could be heard for some distance before suddenly ceasing. The fiddler was never seen again.[7]
In 1539, most of the priory was destroyed under the orders of Henry VIII in the dissolution of the monasteries. The wealth of the priory was gifted to a local nobleman, Sir Thomas Paston, who dismantled some of the buildings to provide stone for a house in Wells-next-the-Sea. Further demolitions were made by Paston's grandson, Edward, who planned to build a new house in Binham but eventually gave up on the project.[8]
Present day
[edit]The priory church continues to be used for parish services. As the priory was dedicated to Mary and the church to the Holy Cross, it is called The Priory Church of St Mary and the Holy Cross.[9]
The Priory is in the care of English Heritage and is Grade I listed.[10] Further buildings in the area, such as the priory gatehouse, are also Grade I listed.[11]
Burials
[edit]- Peter de Valognes and wife Albreda de Saint-Saveur
- Roger de Valognes (their son) and his wife Agnes FitzJohn
See also
[edit]- List of monastic houses in Norfolk
- List of monastic houses in England
- List of English abbeys, priories and friaries serving as parish churches
- Simon Binham
- William Binham
References
[edit]- ^ "Binham Priory". NorfolkCoast.co.uk. Archived from the original on 20 July 2006. Retrieved 10 June 2006.
- ^ Champion, M. (2015). Medieval graffiti: the lost voices of England's churches. Random House. ISBN 0-091-96041-X p104-108
- ^ "History of Binham Priory". English Heritage.
- ^ "Foundation of the Priory | Binham Priory". 10 June 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Historical Notes | Binham Priory". 5 June 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
- ^ "Binham Priory". The Norfolk Archaeological Trust. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2012.
- ^ Westwood, Jennifer (1985), Albion. A Guide to Legendary Britain. Pub. Grafton Books, London. ISBN 0-246-11789-3. P. 400.
- ^ "History of Binham Priory". English Heritage. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
- ^ "External History | Binham Priory". 20 May 2018.
- ^ Historic England. "Binham Priory, Binham (1014862)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
- ^ Historic England. "GATEHOUSE AT BINHAM PRIORY, Binham (1049509)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 3 November 2024.
External links
[edit]
- Map sources for Binham Priory
- The Priory Church of St Mary and the Holy Cross
- The Norfolk Archaeological Trust: Binham Priory
- Norfolk Churches: Binham Priory
- Benedictine monasteries in England
- English Heritage sites in Norfolk
- Monasteries in Norfolk
- Christian monasteries established in the 1090s
- 11th-century establishments in England
- 1539 disestablishments in England
- Grade I listed buildings in Norfolk
- Monasteries dissolved under the English Reformation
- Scheduled monuments in Norfolk