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BARLINCH PRIORY

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The ruined remains of St Nicholas's Priory, an Augustinian priory founded between 1154 and 1189 and dissolved in 1537, are visible as walling attached to Barlynch farmhouse. The farmhouse itself mainly dates to the 17th and 18th centuries. A survey by the RCHME confirmed the existence of the remains of parts of the priory church, fragments of the east and south cloister range, and a third building. From these fragments and the layout of later farm buildings, an outline ground plan of the monastic layout has been put forward. In addition, the earthwork remains of a leat supplying the priory were traced, as well as a well preserved fishpond. Other earthworks may represent the site of a dovecote and the gatehouse range.

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SS 92922898 Barlinch Abbey (remains of) (NAT)
St Nicholas's Priory (NR) (Augustinian - founded 12th Century). (1)

Very little remains of Barlinch Priory. When digging the foundations of a cottage some vaults were found paved with encaustic tiles which may have been the crypt of the church. (2)

The remains also include a lofty wall running towards the river which appeared to be the S wall of the church and the thick fence-wall N of it occupied probably the position of the original N wall. Two large blocks of masonry probably represent the E side of the cloister but about the only architectural feature remaining is a small piece of tracery from one of the windows inserted in the modern wall of a building attached to the farmhouse. (3)

Barlinch Priory of Augustinian Canons. Founded temp. Henry ll (1154-1189). Dissolved c. 1537. (4)

Scheduled, Somerset 182. (5)

The remains of the Priory, at SS 92892896, are as described above. (See GP AO/65/186/4). (6)

26/11 Barlynch Farm House (including remains of St Nicholas Priory). Listed Grade 2. The farmhouse itself is probably mainly C.17/C.18 but the fabric may incorporate parts of the medieval Priory of St Nicholas, a branch "cell" of Cleeve Abbey. Other fragmentary remains are mentioned below.
The farmhouse has creamwashed rubble walling, later slate roof on two levels, eaves, end gables. Salient features are 2 tall square rubble stacks rising from projecting chimney breasts with off-sets. Two-storey, 4 windows, wooden casements with glazing bars, except two leaded-light iron casements.
Running eastwards from the end of the farmhouse is a stretch of ruined rubble walling in which are the lower halves of two window openings. This is probably part of the original Priory fabric. Extending northwards from an outbuilding in the rear of the farmhouse are further lengths of ruined walling (one of which is pierced by a plain pointed-arch opening) and fragments of rubble masonry. There appear to be no surviving worked stones and all these ruins are heavily overgrown. Ruins are Ancient Monuments.

Apart from the archaeological interest of the sites, the farmhouse constitutes a picturesque roadside feature in the thickly wooded Exe valley. (7)

Priory of St Nicholas, claimed to be founded by William de Say. Dugdale (a) says the Priory was founded temp Henry II (1154-89), and the first recorded prior was temp. Bishop Reginald (1174-91) (9). It was suppressed before July 1537. (8 & 9)

Additional Bibliography. (10 - 12)

The site of the Priory of St Nicholas, Barlynch was surveyed in March 1999 by the RCHME at the request of the Exmoor National Park Authority. The survey confirmed the existence of the remains of parts of the priory church, fragments of the east and south cloister range, and a third building. From these fragments and the layout of later farm buildings, an outline ground plan of the monastic layout has been put forward. In addition, the earthwork remains of a leat supplying the priory were traced, as well as a well preserved fishpond. Other earthworks may represent the site of a dovecote and the gatehouse range. For further details see archive report. (13 and 14)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1962

( 2) Somerset archaeology and natural history : the proceedings of the Somersetshire Archaeological and Natural History Society

29, 1883 Page(s)78-9

( 3) Somerset archaeology and natural history : the proceedings of the Somersetshire Archaeological and Natural History Society

(Col Bramble) 46, 1900 Page(s)34

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

Page(s)126

( 5) General reference

DOE (IAM) AMs Eng 2 1978 121

( 6) Field Investigators Comments

F1 GHP 17-AUG-65

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

DOE (HHR) Dulverton RD Somer Sept 1955 3

( 8a) General reference

Monasticon Anglicanum (Dugdale) 1846 (Ed J Caley et al)

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

Page(s)138,146

( 9) edited by William Page 1911 The Victoria history Somerset, volume two

The Victoria history of the counties of England Page(s)132-4

(10) Somerset archaeology and natural history : the proceedings of the Somersetshire Archaeological and Natural History Society

(Rev F W Weaver) 54, 1908 Page(s)79-106

(11) General reference

Barlinch Priory 1908 (F W Weaver)

(12) Somerset archaeology and natural history : the proceedings of the Somersetshire Archaeological and Natural History Society

98, 1953 Page(s)8

(13) Field Investigators Comments

R Wilson-North March 1999 RCHME Field Investigation

(14) General reference

`The Priory of St Nicholas, Barlynch, Brompton Regis, Somerset' by R Wilson-North RCHME Survey Report 1999

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