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DODFORD PRIORY

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The buried and earthwork remains of the large triangular moated site of Dodford Priory measuring 240 metres by 180 metres, orientated north-south. The priory was founded in 1184 and fell within the confines of the Royal Forest of Feckenham. Dodford Priory was a small cell of Augustinian canons and was never wealthy. It was annexed by the Premonstratensian monastery of Halesowen in 1332. By 1500 only one canon remained serving the chapel and the estates were leased out. The priory was dissolved in 1536. The moat island is large, measuring 200 metres by 165 metres. The main buildings of the priory were sited in the vicinity of the present house (excluded from the scheduling but Listed Grade II*) which is believed to contain the remains of the refectory. Some traces of earlier structures can be seen in the gardens around the existing house. The chapel is thought to have been on the south side of the court. The northern portion of the island has been used as an orchard and has an uneven surface with depressions indicating the survival of buildings or either garden remains. The surface of the island is lower than that of the surrounding land, except towards the north where the island slopes gently upwards. The circuit of the moat is complete except along the northern angle, towards the road where it has been partly infilled and built over. The moat is water-logged and is 15 metres to 20 metres wide across the top and 2 metres to 5 metres deep. To the east are the remains of two substantial fishponds. Following the Dissolution the priory was rebuilt as a farmhouse in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Further alterations were carried out in the mid 19th century and again in the late 20th century when the building was converted to a private house. Scheduled.

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SO 93267285. Remains of (NAT) Priory (NR) (Augustinian
founded AD 1184) (NAT) SO 93307290. Moat (NR). (1)

A very small Augustinian priory cell, for a prior and perhaps two
canons, was founded at Dodford in 1184-6. It was incorporated
in the Premonstratensian abbey of Halesowen in 1332 and annexed
to it in 1464, there being then only one canon. About 1500 the
estates were leased out and only the prior, supplied by Halesowen,
remained serving the church. It was finally dissolved in 1536. (2)

Dodford Priory, Grade 2: An L-shaped farmhouse on the site of
Dodford Priory. The main range is of medieval stone; the smaller
wing of 16th - 17th century timber framing. (3)

Dodford Priory, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, is moated, the moat
being filled by two streams running on its east and west sides. At
present only the east side of the house remains; the ground
entrance was to the NE where part of a stone wall and the side of
a gate pier remain. (4)

The priory is famous as the home of Fergus O'Conner, the great
Chartist (1796-1855), who anticipated the development of small
holdings by cutting up his estate into plots. The great Charter was
started from the Priory on its way for presentation to
Parliament in London in 1839. Of the ancient priory only
irregularity of the fields now suggests the sites of the church
and ecclesiastical appointments. (5)

The demesne of Dodford Priory is bounded on the NE side by a
wide artificial gully up to 15 feet deep in places. Its outer
edge is always higher than its inner edge. The ditch is being
filled from the NW corner. The deeply entrenched stream on the W
defined that side. The "moat" shown on OS maps probably represents
a much mutilated series of some three of four small fish-stews. (6)

The priory is now a farm. The walls to the height of about 6
feet are those of the old priory. The chapel has entirely
disappeared, but stood on the left of the court. (7)

The remains represent a series of fishponds, now dry and under
pasture. They are sited on a south east facing slope. The higher
ponds are 1.1m deep but at the foot of the slope they average
0.4m in depth. The wide gully along the north east side has
irregular steep sides and it may be a former water course. It
cannot positively be associated with the Priory although it may
well have formed its boundary.

The house is an L-shaped building, partly of stone, and partly
of timber and brick. No evidence of medieval work was seen.

Published survey (1:2500) revised on Permatrace. (8)

Dodford Priory. Grade II*. (9-10)

Revision of the Ordnance Survey in 1962 of the 'Moat' to the NE of Dodford Priory revealed it to have an average depth of 1.1m, with the angle filled with rubbish. No trace of the feature continuing to the SW or SE. [See illustration card]. (11)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1964

( 2) by David Knowles and R Neville Hadcock 1953 Medieval religious houses : England and Wales

Page(s)136,165

( 3) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

Provisional List Bromsgrove Rural District 1960 Page(s)13

( 4) General reference

Bromsgrove Notes and Queries, 1, 1909, 93 (Lacey J)

( 5) Transactions Worcestershire Naturalists Club

6 (1915) Page(s)162-163

( 6) Worcestershire Archaeological Society Worcestershire archaeology and local history newsletter

6 (1970) Page(s)15

( 7) edited by William Page and J W Willis-Bund 1913 The Victoria history of the county of Worcester: volume three

The Victoria history of the counties of England Page(s)26

( 8) Field Investigators Comments

F1 DJC 06-JAN-76

( 9) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

Bromsgrove 17-Jul-1986 Page(s)60

(10) ny Nikolaus Pevsner 1968 Worcestershire

The Buildings of England Page(s)132

(11) General reference

O.S. Antiquity Model Revision 27.7.1962 by TPW

(12) Scheduled Monument Notification

23-FEB-1998

(13) by David Knowles and R Neville Hadcock 1971 Medieval religious houses in England and Wales

Page(s)156,188

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