| More information : (TQ 62639872) Thoby Priory (NR) (rems of) (NAT) (1)
Priory of St. Mary and St. Leonard (Augustinian) founded circa AD 1140. The remains of the Priory consist of the south walk of the presbytery rebuilt 15th century and the arch to the west of it. Probably opening into the south transept; west range of the claustral block incorporated in the house. (2-3)
Thoby Priory in process of demolition when visited. The remains now consist of south wall of presbytery, (see plan). Poor condition and heavily overgrown. (4)
Thoby, or Ginges. This was a small priory, with probably never more than four to five canons, founded 1141-51. It was suppressed in 1525 for Wolsey's college at Oxford. (5)
The remains of Thoby Priory (name confirmed) are as described by F1, see photograph. The area now forms part of a scrap yard and the water features centred TQ 62579880 have been partially destroyed by tipping. Identification of these as a moat or fishpond complex connected with the priory is now uncertain.
Published 25" survey of walling correct. (6)
A partial investigation utilising drone photography and lidar was undertaken by Historic England's Landscape Archaeology team in March 2023 alongside a review of existing archaeological evidence. The latter included reports of trial trenches within and around the area of the claustral buildings by Essex's Field Unit in 2001 and 2002, and by Archaeology South East in 2014. These findings were previously summarised in a desk-based assessment by CGMS dating from 2014. (8) (9)
The core of the priory buildings can be said with some confidence to be centred on the standing masonry, which is almost certainly part of the southern wall of the priory church. That the claustral range lay to the north of the church is slightly unusual, given that it was more commonly placed to the south so as not to be overshadowed by church, but the excavated remains of the probable south aisle and definite adjacent cemetery, as well as the reported parch-marks of buildings across the former lawn to the north, appear to support this conclusion. The Augustinian priory at Leez, 20km to the north, beyond Chelmsford, provides a very close comparator for this layout. The reason for this inversion is unclear, given the lack of any topographic limitations. However, as the main approach to the priory appears to have been from the south, this arrangement could have served to shield the religious life of the community from the outside world (7)
The condition of buried monastic remains, following the effects of rebuilding and landscaping through the Tudor, Georgian and Victorian periods, is largely contingent on the expansion of the car breaking yard and related commercial activities following the demolition of the hall. Excavations have revealed significant areas of well-preserved archaeological evidence, including both structural and human remains, associated with the church. These seem to be generally confined to the likley area of the conventual buildings, although further exploration would undoubtedly reveal evidence of activity scattered across the precinct, not least the pattern of monastic drains whose failure long ago may have contributed to the saturated conditions reported in 2001 and 2002. (8)
The matter of the precinct is unresolved. Its general extent can be estimated from the fringe of ponds and other boundaries shown on early maps and in part visible today, but without further investigation and given the fragmentation and condition of these features, it remains entirely conjectural. The persistent identification of the Tudor hall with the former refectory (Suckling 1845, repeated by Chancellor 1918, echoed by the RCHME 1923) needs further examination. It is extremely rare for the refectory in a small monastery to be to be placed anywhere in the claustral range other than parallel to the church. ECC and AS-E’s excavations have already raised questions about how much of the Tudor house was truly constructed around the bones of the east range. (8)
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