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HICKLING PRIORY

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Ruins of an Augustinian Priory founded in 1185 and dissolved in 1536. Parts of a substantial flint and stone-built transepted church and fragments of vaulted claustral buildings dating from the late 12th century survive. Cropmarks around the site indicate a complex water management feature including possible fishponds and a moat.

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TG 4184 2489: Remains of (NAT) Priory (NR) Augustinian. Founded AD 1185) (NAT) (1)

An Augustinian Priory founded in 1185 and dissolved 1536. (2)

Extensive remains; mostly incorporated in the outbuildings of Priory Farm. (3)

Extant remains comprise the west wall of the transept standing about 4-5 metres high (see photo); the north and west cloister walls, partly rebuilt; remains of the undercroft west of the cloister (see photo), fragments of vaulting and a coped wall in the L-shaped building at the north west of the farm complex. All the walls are of flint cobbles with some knapping and remains of ashlar dressings. Vault springers are of stone but surviving ribs on walls are brick.

The farmer indicated where the base of a crossing pier lies just below the surface of arable land and said two others had been removed. He also pointed out in the plough the site of a well 80 metres south west of the cloister, with, to its immediate east, a fairly heavy bone scatter which may indicate the site of the cemetery.

Published 25" survey revised.

`The Causeway' is a metalled and hedge-lined access track to the farm. (4)

Remains of a medieval priory situated to the north of the village of Hickling. The priory is dedicated to St Mary, St Austin and All Saints and was founded in 1185 by Theobold son of Robert de Valoines for canons of the Augustinian order. Several disasters befell the community of this order. After a storm of 1287 flooding caused the death of 180 people in Hickling and water rose to more than a foot above the high altar in the priory church. All the canons fled apart from 2 who stayed to rescue horses and possessions.

In 1349 all but 2 of the brethren died of the Black Death. A second epidemic in 1439 was the cause of several more deaths. The priory was dissolved in 1536 and the land granted to Sir William Wodehouse.

There are several cropmark areas around the church and claustral complex which appear to relate to a complex water management system. They show 2 parallel leats from the east precinct side to the south east corner of the cloister. From the east end of the southernmost leat are channels branching southwest to towards marshy ground containing a modern pond but possibly originally the site of monastic fishponds. The 2 leats head towards the south range and probable site of the latrine block. 20 metres north of the church site are further leat cropmarks connected at intervals by cross channels or ditches and running east to west to a series of what may have been fishponds. Other linear features in the precinct define boundaries of rectangular enclosures of different dates some of which may have contained buildings and a moat like feature. Scheduled. (5)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1957

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

Page(s)141

( 3) General reference

Monastic Remains of Norfolk and Suffolk 1934 (C J W Messent) Page(s)29

( 4) Field Investigators Comments

F1 BHS 22-MAY-1973

(5) Scheduled Monument Notification

EH scheduled monument, 09-SEP-2003

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MONUMENT NO. 903370
HICKLING

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Barn at Hickling Priory. Thin pebble walled barn dating from the 19th century.

MONUMENT NO. 903372
HICKLING

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Barn at Hickling Priory. Pebble, stone rubble and reused ashlar walled barn with irregularly placed buttresses around its southern end, built in the 1...

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