More information : (SP 51565953) Site of St Mary and St Edmund's Priory (LB) (Cistercian, founded circa AD 1175) (SP514596) Moat (LB) (SP517597)
(SP517595) Fishpond (LB). (SP526594) St Mary's Church (LB) (Remains of). (1)
A Cistercian house of ten nuns was set up at Catesby c.1175, endowed with the church of the Blessed Mary, a chapel at Hellidon, grounds in tillage, lands, tenements, meadows and pastures. Until 1310 there were lay brothers under a master attached to the priory. In 1536 the priory was dissolved, and all the property was granted to the Onley family. The parish church at Upper Catesby was destroyed at this time, and a new church was built on the priory site. All buildings here were destroyed 1861-2. In 1963 the earthworks of the village were in poor condition. (2-5)
Apart from the moat, little is visible in the way of earthworks. (6)
Very meagre remains. An earth covered heap of rubble around a small portion of still standing wall. An arch or doorway from it is probably built into a cottage in Catesby. (7)
An extensive series of fishponds and a defensive moat on the western perimeter are adjacent to the published site of this priory. No extant remains, or foundation lines of the House can now be traced. There are no surveyable remains. The "still standing wall" noted (and photographed) by Wardale in February 1959 has now collapsed into a large amorphous mound. See photograph. Also the doorway is extant, this is 15c work and as suggested probably came from the early church.
See annotated 25" survey of fishponds and moat. (8)
No change to field report of 15.5.70. Survey transferred to 1:2500 MSD. (9)
SP 515 595. Little is known of the history of the Cistercian priory. In 1229 the King granted wood from Silverstone for the construction of the priory church. After the dissolution in 1536 the Onley family held the land until the early 17th century when it passed to the Parkhursts. 16th century house built possibly around the original cloister. The west front was rebuilt c1700. Formal gardens lay to the east. House finally demolished 1863. Earthworks suggest a Medieval leat west of the present church, formerly described as a moat, and probably Medieval ponds. Post-Medieval remains include sunken gardens 1.5m deep and further ponds. (10)
The priory of St Mary and St Edmund was founded circa 1175 for Cistercian nuns although there seems to be some evidence that it was originally Benedictine. It was definitely Cistercian in the 13th century. Dissolved 1536. (11) |