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BOXGROVE PRIORY

ALTERNATIVE NAME:

PRIORY OF ST MARY THE VIRGIN AND ST BLAISE

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The ruins of Boxgrove Priory founded in circa 1117 by Robert de la Haye, Lord of Halnaker, on the site of a secular college dating to pre-1066. The Benedictine Priory was founded as the Priory of St Mary the Virgin and St Blaise and was an alien priory. This means that it was controlled by another religious house outside of England. It originally had a community of only three monks, but in 1149 Roger St John increased the number. In 1339 when alien monasteries were seized by Edward III, Boxgrove became independent. The transepts and crossing of the church date to the early 12th century, and the choir and nave to the late 12th to14th centuries. A guesthouse and well were added in the 14th century. In 1536 the priory was dissolved as part of Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries and the buildings and land granted to Sir Thomas West, Baron de la Warr. In the 18th century the nave of the priory church was demolished. Only the lodging house and part of the church and chapter house remain, grouped around a small field, which is the site of the cloister of the monastery.

The surviving remains of the priory church is now the parish church. The foundations of the cloisters, frater and dorter to the north of the church are visible on aerial photographs. The site is now run by English Heritage and is open to visitors.

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[SU 9079 0750] Remains of [T.I.] PRIORY [G.T.] (Benedictine) [T.I.] Church of St. Mary & St. Blaise [T.U.]. (1)

Boxgrove Priory - founded after 1105 as an alien priory. Declared independent in 1339 (confirmed denizen 1383) Dissolved 1536. Secular college pre 1066 to c. 1105. Boxgrove - Hospital, unknown foundation, dissolved after 1536; type A (similar to an almshouse) dependent on the priory. (2)

Boxgrove Priory Church: 12th & 13th century. The ruins to the north of the church are of what was probably the Guest Hall of the 12th c. Benedictine priory. (3)

AO/61/342/7 & 8. (4)

Boxgrove Priory (ruined parts), scheduled. (5)

The remains of Boxgrove Priory, which have been partially restored, are as follows:

1. The quire and north and south transepts, etc., of the conventual church which remain in use as the parish church.

2. Fragments of the former nave consisting of the north wall about 3.0 metres in height (see GP/F/52/51), one pier, and the footings
of the south and west walls, including south porch.

3. The west wall of the Chapter House (see GP/F/52/52).

4. The Guest House, the gable ends of which survive to their
full height, but the side walls are much reduced.

To be supplied by Field Surveyor. (6)

No change. The remains of Boxgrove Priory are as described by the previous Field Surveyor's comments. See Guide Book.
Published survey (25") revised. (7-8)

BOXGROVE Church of St. Mary and St. Blaize (Boxgrove Priory Church)

The Parish Church. Of the twelfth century cruciform church there remain the tower, the transepts and the arches leading East and West. The choir is thirteenth century. The nave was demolished in the eighteenth century. Flying buttresses. Galleries in the transepts. (Photographs in the National Buildings Record). (9)

(SU 90800759) A rapid examination of Air Photography suggests the presence of building remains immediately north and west of the Guesthouse, including a possible rectangular structure and what may be double wall (possible passage or corridor). (10-11)

Please refer to these sources for information on the history and architecture of the priory. (12-13)

Please refer to this source for information and a photograph of the carved pillar in the priory. (14)

Priory Church of St Mary and St Blaize founded circa 1117 described as one of the finest medieval churches in Sussex - listed Grade I. The ruins are also listed Grade I. (15)

Please refer to this source for information on the priory. (16)

Remains of the Benedictine Priory founded after circa 1117 as the Priory of St Mary the Virgin and St Blaise, and dissolved in 1536. It is on the site of a secular college extant in 1066 and extant until the Priory was founded. The remains consist of the Priory church, now the parish church, foundations of the chapterhouse to the North of the North transept, the 14th century guesthouse and a well. The foundations of the cloisters, frater and dorter are visible as parchmarks to the north of the church. The transepts and crossing of the church date to the early 12th century, the choir and nave to the late 12th-14th centuries. The nave was demolished in the 18th century, only fragments of the north wall and the easternmost bay, converted to a porch, remaining. (17)

The remains of the hall or refectory which was founded by Robert de Haia in the reign of Henry I for three monks of the Benedictine order. Roger St. John in 1149 increased the number of monks but it remained a cell of the Abbey of L'Essay in Normandy. When other alien priories were taken possession of by Edward III, Boxgrove became independent. In 1553 its yearly revenue was reckoned at 185 pounds 19s 8d. The manor and advowsons were seized by the Crown, the site and premises being granted to Sir Thomas West, Lord La War. The only standing remains are the church and a refectory. (18)

The remains of a 12th to 14th century Benedictine Priory including the guest house and church, which is today used as the local parish church. (19)

The Benedictine priory of St Mary the Virgin and St Blaise was founded in about 1117 by Robert de la Haye, Lord of Halnaker, and had a community of only three monks. In 1149 Roger St John increased the number of monks, and in 1339 when alien monasteries were seized by Edward III, Boxgrove became independent. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the buildings and land were granted to Sir Thomas West, Baron de la Warr. Only the lodging house and part of the church and chapter house remain, grouped around a small field, which is the site of the cloister of the monastery. (20)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1961

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

Page(s)60,256

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

Provisional List No 1996A/11/A, JUL-1958 Page(s)9

( 4) Royal Archaeological Institute The Archaeological Journal

Clapham and Vallance 92, 1935 Page(s)415-6

( 5) Ministry of Works 1953 Ancient monuments in England and Wales : list prepared by the Ministry of Works, corrected to 31st December 1952

Page(s)73

( 6) Field Investigators Comments

F1 ASP 12-FEB-62

( 7) Field Investigators Comments

F2 PAS 16-NOV-71

( 8) by Edgar Popham 1950 Round and about the Priory of St Mary and St Blaise, Boxgrove : a simple guide

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

Chichester Rural District, Sussex, JUL-1958 Page(s)9

( 10) RCHME/EH Aerial Photographers Comment

Andrew Miller/09-DEC-1992/RCHME: AP Primary Recording Project

( 11) Aerial photograph

NMR 4535:12-8

( 12) General reference

Transactions of the Battle History Society 10, 1961 Page(s)16

( 13) Royal Archaeological Institute The Archaeological Journal

142, 1985 Page(s)64-6

( 14) General reference

Medieval Gardens 1981 (J Harvey) Page(s)112-3

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

Chichester, 28-JAN-1986 1080 Page(s)30

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

Page(s)60,421,468

(17) SU 90 NW 13 (Boxgrove Priory) (1962)

(18) Scheduled Monument Notification

24-SEP-1986

(19) 2009 English Heritage Visitor Handbook 2009/10

Page(s)51

(20) English Heritage 2005 Heritage Unlocked: London and the South East

Page(s)58-59

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