| Summary : Augustinian priory founded circa 1140-54 and dissolved in 1538. Several ruined buildings remain, and were largely built in the Norman period with alterations in the 14th century. Much of the plan was recovered in the 1920's. The church was cruciform, aisles being inserted in the nave in the 14th century. The claustral complex lies to the South, and consists of the chapter house, dorter, reredorter, refectory and cellarer's range. The infirmary lay to the East of the East range, and the kitchen to the South of the South range. A building of unknown function, but possibly a divorced guest house, lay across the river to the South. The fragmentary remains of the gatehouse, chapter house, domestic range, cloister, church and a barn still survive. Dependencies: Great Massingham, Weybourne, Custhorpe, Narford. |
More information : (TF 78041497) Remains of (NAT) Priory (NR) (Augustinian) (1)
Augustinian priory of St Mary and All Saints', Westacre; founded late 11th/early 12th.c. dissolved 1538. In 1286, the church and convent buildings were destroyed by fire (a). Excavations on this site were made 1927 and 1928 Plan. Founded c.1135 according to Knowles and Hadcock. (2-4)
14th.c. Priory gatehouse, and extensive remains incorporated in farm buildings. Grade I. (5)
Both the modern Priory farmhouse and associated farm buildings hold much masonry in their fabric either "in situ" or rebuilt from the Priory proper; elsewhere standing isolated fragments of the Medieval buildings exist but are insufficient, in both size and plan, to enable a classification. Centred to TF 78041500 are the remains of, probably, the east range of the cloisters, together with the fragmentary shell of the ? chapter house.
The building to the south of the River Nar is presumably a divorced guest-house and is now collapsed but surveyable. Amorphous earthworks to the south-east of All Saints' Church represent early fields and associated roads together with quarrying (prob stone robbery) See ground photographs. Surveyed at 1:2500 on AM photostat. (6) |