TITCHFIELD ABBEY

ALTERNATIVE NAME:

ABBEY OF ST MARY AND ST JOHN THE EVANGELIST, PALACE HOUSE

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The ruins of Titchfield Abbey, a Premonstratenian Abbey founded in 1232 by Peter de Roches, Bishop of Winchester. To the northwest of the abbey complex is a line of four (originally five) medieval fishponds which date shortly after the foundation of the abbey in the 13th century. Drains leading to the abbey and a pond-side building are also of 13th century date.
In 1537 the abbey was dissolved by Henry VIII during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, and the monastic estate passed to Thomas Wriothesley. By 1542 he had converted the buildings into the residence known as 'Palace House'. This house survived little altered until the greater part of it was demolished in 1781. The ruin is now managed by English Heritage.

Titchfield Abbey was built for Premonstratensian canons and the surviving remains of the abbey include the cloister and the nave of the church. When the buildings were converted into a Tudor house the cloister became the courtyard and the nave became its gatehouse. The four towers of the gatehouse form the most visually impressive feature of the ruins. Archaeological investigations carried out by Sir William St John Hope in the early 20th century identified the position of the frater, chapter house, library and the quire of the church, which are largely enclosed within a 16th century boundary wall.

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(SU 54190667) Remains of Titchfield Abbey (AT)
(Premonstratensian founded AD 1232). (1)

See MPB&W booklet. (2)

Titchfield Abbey is in the care of the MPB&W, and is maintained in good condition. Between SU 53850677 and SU 54130675 are four-in-line fishponds, three of which are waterfilled. A stonelined underground conduit leads from the easternmost fishpond in the direction of the abbey buildings. Its course is indicated by several ground collapses and the eastern end has been destroyed within a private garden by the construction of a sunken tennis court.

At SU 53940647 is a large tithe barn in good condition. This is the subject of a separate scheduling.

At SU 54070661 are the north end wall and foundations of a stone building of early 16th century date. (not noted by MPB&W) Abbey resurveyed, drain surveyed, other features revised at 1:2500. See photographs. (2)

Scheduled: Abbey (No. 3) Barn (No.216). (3)

Barn - Grade I. (4)

Excavations of the Abbey fishponds were undertaken to determine the construction method. Reports. (5-8)

(See also SU 50 NW 42, SU 50 NW 45, SU 50 SW 19 for associated fishponds, and SU 50 NW 44 for the Tithe Barn).

The Abbey of St Mary and St John the Evangelist was founded in 1232 by Peter de Roches, Bishop of Winchester, for Premonstratensian canons. The history of the abbey was uneventful and at the suppression of the monasteries in 1537 the monastic estate passed to Thomas Wriothesley, who by 1542, had converted the monastic buildings into the residence known as 'Palace House'. This survived little altered until the greater part of it was demolished in 1781. The surviving remains of the abbey include the cloister, used in the 16th century as the courtyard of the country house, and the nave of the church which became its gatehouse. The four towers of the gatehouse form the most visually impressive element of the ruins. The position of the frater, chapter house, library and the quire of the church are also known from archaeological investigations carried out by Sir William St John Hope in the early 20th century and are largely enclosed within a 16th century boundary wall. To the northwest of the abbey complex is a line of four (originally five) medieval fishponds which date shortly after the foundation of the abbey in the 13th century. Drains leading to the abbey and a pond-side building are also of 13th century date. (9)

There are several gun-ports dating to 1537-9. (10)

The ruins of a Premonstratensian abbey which later became a Tudor house with a turreted gatehouse. (11)

The ruins of a Premonstratensian Abbey founded in 1232 by Peter des Roches, Bishop of Winchester. Its mother house was Halesowen Abbey in Worcestershire. It was converted into a house by Thomas Wriothesley after its dissolution in 1537. The church had an aisleless nave, central tower, transepts with eastern chapels and a presbytery, with the cloister to the north of church and the chapter house to the east. The remains include the gatehouse and parts of the flanking walls. There is evidence for extra-claustral buildings and fishponds. For further details please refer to the Hampshire Historic Environment Record. (12)

SOURCE TEXT

(1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1963

(2) Field Investigators Comments

F1 ASP 11-FEB-69

(3) by Department of the Environment, Ancient Monuments and Historic Buildings London 1978 List of ancient monuments in England: Volume 1, Northern England; Volume 2, Southern England; Volume 3, East Anglia and the Midlands

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

Fareham Borough 1976 Page(s)105

(5) Hampshire County Council Archaeology in Hampshire, annual report

1984-85 Page(s)49-50

(6) Medieval archaeology : journal of the Society for Medieval Archaeology

(C K Currie) 29, 1985 Page(s)182-3

(7) Medieval archaeology : journal of the Society for Medieval Archaeology

(C K Currie) 30, 1986 Page(s)147-8

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

Page(s)191-2

(9) Scheduled Monument Notification

26-FEB-1997

(10) Fortress Study Group Fort : the international journal of fortification and military architecture

84, 1977 Page(s)84

(11) 2009 English Heritage Visitor Handbook 2009/10

Page(s)77

(12) World Wide Web page

Heritage Gateway. 2009. Hampshire Archaeology and Historic Buildings Record Search 19310, http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/gateway/chr/herdetail.aspx?crit=&ctid=97&id=4774 [Accessed 29-APR-2009]

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