More information : (ST 1464 4402) Chantry (NR) (Remains of) (1) A chantry at Kilve was founded in 1329 by Sir Simon Furneaux for five priests to pray for his soul "in Kylve Church". The licence includes "a house and garden" to support the endowment. Caswell thought the "contraria" was dissolved towards the end of the 14th cent., and with Collinson, associates the foundation with the buildings described as "chantry" by the O.S. They "include a refectory, dormitory, stillroom, granary and other monastic appearances" and were used as a farmhouse until c. 1850, when they were destroyed by fire. Close by the ruins are fish stews. (2-4) The ruined buildings, of considerable extent and in a fair state of presentation, are at ST 1464 4402. See AO/65/46/8 and GP AO/65/49/8 One dry fish-pond survives, 2.0m. deep, at ST 1461 4405 Surveyed at 1/2500. (5) The ruins of the chantry are generally intact although they are becoming rapidly overgrown. The fishpond has been almost completely infilled. (6) ST 14 SW KILVE CP SEA LANE (West side) 5/123 Remains of Chantry, abutting East side of Chantry Cottage GV II* Remains of collegiate dwelling of chantry priests, now ruin. Early C14, later medieval addition, gutted by fire mid C19. Blue lias random rubble. Plan: gabled block lying North South abutting Priory and Chantry Cottage (qv) is solar wing to the latter hall, contemporary chapel wing, gabled in South East corner with larger later medieval gabled addition in North East corner. Large stepped angle buttresses to wings, North East wing with chamfered plinth and altered square headed window on East front and square headed opening in gable end. The building is otherwise completely obscured by ivy and undergrowth at time of survey (August 1983). The college of chantry priests was founded under license 1329 and dissolved late C14. Scheduled Ancient Monument (Somerset County No 480) (There are many early C19 watercolours of the building before the fire in the Local History Library Taunton; photograph in NMR; VCH Somerset, Vol 5 forthcoming). (7) Additional Bibliography (8)
The buildings and surrounding landscape at Kilve were the subject of a large scale survey as part of the EH survey of the Quantock Hills AONB. The site was recorded at a scale of 1: 1000 and the results are discussed in the site report (9, 10).
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