| Summary : Founded as a Cluniac priory in 1102-8 as a dependency of Cluny, it became denizen in 1392 and was dissolved in 1538. The present chancel of Holy Trinity Church (now St Anthony's Church), is thought to be the remains of the monastic infirmary chapel of St Anthony. Barnes has gathered the available evidence to produce a reconstruction of the abbey layout. His research shows that the extensive claustral buildings were to the south of the conventual church, and that the precincts covered a considerable area. Dependencies: Kersal, Basford and Roche cells in Nottingham, and the Hospital of St Anthony in Lenton. A fair held in the outer court of the priory was one of the leading fairs in England during the Middle Ages. The fairground was located west of the priory church in the area now known as Lenton Priory Park. |
More information : Lenton Cluniac Priory, for 25 monks, was founded in 1102-8, became denizen in 1392, and was dissolved in 1538(1).
Remains of an apsidal church, at SK 55253870, were found between 1935 and 1964 (see map diagram). A section of the north wall is all that stands above ground. The position of the claustral buildings (see plan 'A') is wholly conjectural. Apart from a section of precinct wall found in 1947 (2) and 1963 (4), at SK 552388, (see plan 'A') the boundary is not known. The 13th century chancel of the former Holy Trinity Church, at SK 55293879, is considered to be the Priory's infirmary chapel of St Anthony (2). (1-4)
Visible remains of the priory church are: a column base in a garden at SK 55293872 (published on 1:1250), this was once part of the apsidal arcade; a section of the north wall of the church including part of the transept can be seen in the lower parts of garden walling. The chancel of the present parish church of St Anthony is considerably older than the rest of the building which was shown as a ruin except for the chancel on OS 6" 1886.
See photos. (5)
Lenton Priory. Exploratory excavations by trenching in 1977, prior to the erection of a bungalow on a garage site at the corner of Old Church Street revealed a small building, probably the easternmost or ambulatory chapel of which a pillar was found in 1936. No dating evidence was found but documentary evidence exists for a 'newly built' Lady Chapel in 1454 in about this location. (6)
Priory Church. C12 chancel. Grade C. (7)
Priory Church is largely of 1883, but with a C12 chancel with piscina, one old lancet and Norman carving on the altar step. (8)
Post dissolution history and suggested siting of the priory buildings. (9)
History of the priory and description of the remains. (10)
SK 55263877; SK 55303870. The standing and buried remains of part of Lenton Priory and its precinct, including the site of the medieval fairground held in the outer court of the priory. The above-ground remains are Listed Grade II and the site is scheduled. (11) |