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MATTERSEY PRIORY

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The now ruined Mattersey Priory was founded in 1185 by Roger FitzRalph for six canons of the Gilbertine order, which was the only order of purely English origin. Never prosperous, the priory suffered badly when the church was destroyed by fire in 1279 and it was never rebuilt. In 1538 the priory was dissolved by King Henry VIII and its estate was granted to the Neville family. These monastic ruins are situated on the west bank of the River Idle, east of Mattersey village. The visible remains include part of the 12th century church, three partly blocked arches of the refectory, the south wall, the foundations of the 14th century kitchen, and, to the north of the church, a 15th century tower. Partial excavation of the site in 1914 revealed the buried foundations of the east and south ranges of the cloister. The east range consisted of a single ground floor room with the sleeping quarters above, and the south range, the undercroft below the refectory. The foundations of the west range also survive beneath the present ground surface, and the remains of ancillary buildings such as barns, a bakehouse and an infirmary, will lie along with the remains of stock pens and enclosures, within the area of the outer precinct and under the present farm buildings and yards of Abbey Farm.

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[SK 70338955]. Mattersey Priory [G.T.] (Rems. of). (1)

House of Gilbertine Canons. Founded c. 1185, dissolved 1538. Net income in 1535 £55. the priory was for 6 canons, the number of brother being limited to 10. In 1291 the gross income was £52.

The Gilbertine Priory stood on what was then an island in the River Idle. It was founded for canons only, never becoming a 'double' house. It was badly damaged by fire in 1279. In 1912 the site came under the guardianship of the Commissioners of Works.

The church was a short, narrow, rectangular, aisleless building, without transepts. To the north of the church, what resembles a northern transept is in fact a 15th cent. tower. The eastern range of the cloisters was originally a single room on the ground floor. There is no evidence for the existence of a chapter-house. The dorter lay along the eastern range on the first floor, with the reredorter running east at right angles to the end of the range. The southern range contained the undercroft of the frater, and the frater itself on the first floor. The square building at the SW corner was the kitchen. Few traces are left of the western range. (2)

In 1914 the site was excavated, and a certain amount of restoration was carried out. Small finds from this excavation are housed in a shed nearby. (3)

Additional information about the priory. (4-6)

The restored remains of this scheduled ancient monument consist mostly of foundations only but some walling survives, one section to a height of c.6m.

Adjacent earthworks appear to be of no archaeological significance, being drainage ditching and, possibly, some quarrying.

G.Ps. AO/62/35/6 walling remains from South West
No.7 " " from North. (7)

In the care of the M.O.W. and the outlines of all the buildings are clearly visible. Re-surveyed at 1:2500. (8)

The now ruined Mattersey Priory was founded in 1185 for six canons of the Gilbertine order, which was the only order of purely English origin. Never prosperous, the priory suffered badly when the church was destroyed by fire in 1279 but it was never rebuilt. In 1538 the priory was dissolved by King Henry VIII and its estate was granted to the Neville family.

These monastic ruins are situated on the west bank of the River Idle, east of Mattersey village. The visible remains include part of the 12th century church, three partly blocked arches of the refectory, the south wall, the foundations of the 14th century kitchen, and, to the north of the church, a 15th century tower. Partial excavation of the site in 1914 revealed the buried foundations of the east and south ranges of the cloister. The east range consisted of a single ground floor room with the sleeping quarters above, and the south range, the undercroft below the refectory. The foundations of the west range also survive beneath the present ground surface, and the remains of ancillary buildings such as barns, a bakehouse and an infirmary, will lie along with the remains of stock pens and enclosures, within the area of the outer precinct and under the present farm buildings and yards of Abbey Farm. (9)

History of the priory and description of the remains. (10-11)

The Gilbertine order was the only order of purely English origin. Despite some Gilbertine houses accommodating both monks and nuns in separate accommodation, there isn't any clear evidence to suggest that Mattersey Priory was a mixed house.

Mattersey Priory was dedicated to St Helen.
The website source 12 provides a digitised version of copy-right free books and other materials relating to the history of Nottinghamshire. See source for further details, including information relating to the priory. (12)

Brief accessible account of Mattersey Priory for visitors by English Heritage. It notes that it was sited on a gravel Island in an area that would have been marshland in the Middle Ages. It was founded by Roger FitzRalph in 1187. The entry includes a small but useful phase plan overview of the development of the priory. (13)

Older guide to the site from 1972. (14)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" Prov. Edn. 1918-48

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

Page(s)174

( 3) by David Knowles and J K S St. Joseph 1952 Monastic sites from the air

Cambridge air surveys Page(s)248-9

(4) Royal Archaeological Institute The Archaeological Journal

87, 1930

(5) Peverel Archaeological Group Annual Report

1953 Page(s)29-30

(6) Ministry of Public Building and Works 1965 Ancient monuments in England and Wales : a list prepared by the Ministry of Public Building and Works, corrected to 31st December 1963

Page(s)84

(7) Field Investigators Comments

F1 FRH 26-AUG-62

(8) Field Investigators Comments

F2 BHS 02-MAY-74

(9) Scheduled Monument Notification

10-JUN-1992

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

Page(s)198

(11) Marcombe D and Hamilton J, (eds) 1998 Sanctity and Scandal. The Medieval Religious Houses of Nottinghamshire

Page(s)70-2

(12) World Wide Web page

Andy Nicholson. Nottinghamshire History, http://www.nottshistory.org.uk/articles/tts/tts1909/summer/mattersey.htm [accessed 30-APR-2009]

(13) English Heritage 2006 Heritage Unlocked: Guide to free sites in the Midlands

Page(s)40-41

(14) Charlton, John 1972 Mattersey Priory: Nottinghamshire

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