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IXWORTH PRIORY

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Priory of Augustinian Canons founded 1170 and dissolved in 1537. Parts of the church exist as foundations and a ruined wall. Excavations in 1962 revealed the pier footings of the North arcade, and the crossing. The crossing piers were too small to support a central tower. The Norman church was cruciform and had an aisled chancel of which parts of the bases of two piers remain. Bases of two piers of the North aisle also remain. The Chancel was extended in the 13th century and a North aisle added to the nave in the 14th century. Part of the West end stands to a height of a few feet. There was probably a West tower. Of the monastic buildings, the East dormitory range of the 13th century is complete except for the chapter house. The Prior's apartment, timber-framed, lay East of the dormitory and adjoined the reredorter. The East half of the refectory lies in the house called Ixworth Abbey, comprising two vaulted rooms, circa 1230. At the North end of the dormitory range, South of the chapter house, the slype, rib-vaulted in three bays. It was made into a chapel in the 17th- 18th century There is no trace of the West range. A gatehouse stood across the moat to the North.

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[TL 9299 7043] Abbey. Remains of [T.1] Priory [G.T.]
(Augustinian) [T.1]
[TL 9306 7040] Moat [G.T.] (1)

A Priory of Augustinian Canons was founded at Ixworth c.1170. The Norman church was cruciform and had an aisled chancel of which parts of the bases of two piers remain. Bases of two piers of the N aisle also remain. The Chancel was extended in the 13th c. and a N. aisle added to the nave in the 14th c. Part of the W end stands to a height of a few feet. There was probably a W. tower.

Of the monastic buildings, the E. Dormitory range of the 13th c. is complete except for the chapter house. The Prior's apartment, timber-framed, lay E. of the Dormitory and adjoined the reredorter. The E. half of the Refectory lies in the house called Ixworth Abbey, comprising two vaulted rooms, c.1230. At the N. end of the Dormitory range, S. of the Chapter House, the Slype, rib-vaulted in three bays. It was made into a chapel in the 17th- 18th c. There is no trace of the W. range. A gatehouse stood across the moat to the N. (2)

Priory of St. Mary, Ixworth, Austin canons, first founded c.1100, destroyed, and rebuilt on a different site by founder's son. Suppressed, Feb. 1536-7. (3)

Ixworth Priory: Augustinian Canons Founded: 1170 Diss: 1537. It is possible that the house was founded or projected much earlier and that the scheme failed or lapsed. (4)

Ixworth Abbey; a private house of mainly 17th and 18th c appearance, incorporates considerable 13thc. remains of the W. range of the Augustinian Priory (as described by Pevsner). Very little of the remainder of the priory exists beyond these remains and the piers of priory church exposed in the lawn on the N. side of the house, but a tentative plan has been drawn up by P.G.M. Dickinson for the National Buildings Record. Some excavation is projected next year by St. Pauls School, London.
Pevsner notes a gatehouse and he appears to have been referring to what is almost certainly the site of a building in a small copse at TL 9285 7054 but this building is thought at the house to have been the guest house.

The so called moat(s) centred at TL 93067050 are still partly wet and in good condition. They seem to have been of an ornamental nature and probably post-Dissolution. The plan drawn up for the N.B.R. is only concerned with the claustral buildings and does not include the outbuildings or precinct wall &c. of which no trace remains. There is, however, a 1625 plan of the manor of Ixworth in existence which apparently does show some of these features, but it is in private hands and very little information on it could be obtained.

GP AO/62/71/1: front of house from NW 2: side from SW.
Published Survey (25" 1904) revised.

Grade 1 18 A/367 (5)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" Prov. Edn. 1958.

( 2) by Nikolaus Pevsner 1961 Suffolk

The Buildings of England Page(s)283-4

( 3) edited by William Page 1907 The Victoria history of the county of Suffolk: volume two

The Victoria history of the counties of England Page(s)105

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

Page(s)141

( 5) Field Investigators Comments

F1 CFW 23-AUG-62

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Ixworth Abbey; a private house of mainly 17th and 18th century appearance, incorporating considerable 13th century remains of the East range of the Au...

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