More information : (ST 9957 7812) Bradenstoke Abbey (TI) St. Mary's Priory (GT) (Augustinian)
(ST 9950 7902) Holy Well (GT) (1)
(ST 9965 7899) Tithe Barn (GT) (2)
(Not published on OS 6", 1960). (1,2)
Bradenstoke Priory, of Augustinian canons, was founded 1142 and dissolved 1539. It is also called Bradenstoke Abbey and sometimes Clack. (3)
The remains of the priory were formed into a farm house. They comprised a substantial part of a C14 hall and undercroft forming the west range. (4)
Late Norman voussoirs were reused in this building in the C18/19 (See AO/65/307/5 & 6). It is described as the Guest House and Kings Lodgings. Nearby was a tithe barn (at 'A') of C15 date with a modern roof (See AO/65/307/7). The holy well, a spring-fed roughly dressed stone well, was in use as a 'wishing' well in modern times. The area of the priory was excavated in the 1920s by Brakspear and the plan recovered (see AO/65/307/4) showing the C12-15 church on the south of the cloisters.
There had been earlier finds of burials, stone coffins and encaustic tile pavements (5). In 1929 the remains of the west range and the barn were demolished on behalf of Randolph Hearst and reused at St. Donat's Castle, Glamorgan despite public outcry (7). All that survives is the C14 stair tower at the N.W. corner of the west range and parts of the undercroft; the barn was totally demolished. Further Medieval burials were found at the site in 1933 (8). (5-9)
Bradenstoke Abbey, ST 9956 7909, is ruinous, only the tower at ST 9955 7911 and the subvault of the guest hall being reasonably complete. See G.P.
The Holy Well, at ST 9947 7902, appears to be simply a spring; no masonry is visible. Associated with the priory are fishponds, at ST 9963 7910 and ST 9968 7920, a series of banks and ditches centred ST 9974 7917, and it appears from the plan that Clack Mount (ST 97NE4) is coeval.
At ST 9967 7914 is a small mound 0.4 metres high with the appearance of a barrow, though it is doubtful whether one could have survived within the precincts of the priory.
Surveyed at 1:2500 on AM. (10)
ST 99387940 Large group of coarse pottery (one glazed fragment), C12-13, from vicinity of Clack Mount (ST 97 NE 4) and Bradenstoke Abbey. (11)
Bradenstoke Abbey: No change since field report of 9.7.68. The building ruins are now in a very friable condition and extremely overgrown. (12)
1:2500 AM earthwork survey still correct; detail transferred to MSD.
Building detail revised on AM. (13)
Reference to a highly decorative 14th century roof which incorporates a crownpost with ball-flower ornament on the arch-braces. This was formerly above the refectory, and is now at St Donats Castle, Glamorganshire. (14)
The site of the Augustinian priory at Bradenstoke was surveyed by the RCHME in Sep 1997 and Feb 1998 at the request of English Heritage. The survey, which was carried out at a scale of 1:1000, included the area of the priory (which is now occupied by a farmstead), the pasture field to the north-east, and the escarpment. Clack Mount (ST 97 NE 4) was also surveyed since it probably formed an integral part of the medieval and post-medieval estate.
Little remains in the form of earthworks of the monastery; there are well preserved earthworks in the field to the north-east and on the escarpment. These earthworks probably represent a garden landscape that has been superimposed on previously cultivated land. On the escarpment there is a possible water garden.
The church and cloistral range lay to the north of Abbey Farm, close to the edge of the escarpment, and covered an area of c. 0.36 ha. To the south of the farmstead, extending from the gate in the south is an embanked track with a number of sub-rectangular platforms. These platforms represent former farm buildings that are depicted on an aerial photograph (NMR: AP ST9979/2; CCC 5208/04991). Further north there is a spread bank that continues the line of a wall.
To the north of the bank is a small walled garden with a stone pond along the north side. This garden is probably the area where the skeletons were found in 1933.
The undercroft of the west range is the only part of the monastery that survives and little in the way of earthworks are evident for the remainder of the area occupied by the priory. To the north-east of the west range are two scarps that lie parallel to a stone and brick wall and the foundations of a building. These scarps form part of a track that leads from the farmstead to the escarpment. Projecting from the northern end of the west range is another scarp which turns at right-angles; this is probably part of the north range.
In the north-east the precinct boundary is defined by a bank and an external ditch. The boundary bank continues along the south-east side for c. 140m, from where the boundary continues as a stone wall for a further 84m, and beyond this, a fence-line. Along the escarpment the boundary bank continues, although it is much degraded, and has been cut by two rectangular ponds.
Within the northern part of the boundary bank are traces of ridge and furrow. Although this cultivation is much degraded and only three furrows were surveyed in the northern field, APs show that it was more extensive. A linear bank measuring 105m separates the two area of ridge and furrow. A sub-rectangular platform is located in the south-east corner of the field. To the south, further ridge and furrow is evident aligned north-west/south-east. Extending in a south-easterly direction is another linear bank measuring 95m long, with three small causeways across it. The furrows are between 5 and 8m apart.
Overlying the ridge and furrow in the south-west is a linear depression, possibly a garden feature, measuring 75 x 5m and up to 0.9m deep. another linear depression extends at right-angles; at its north-west end it appears to cut into a boundary bank.
Between the ponds are two mounds; the southerly mound measures 12.5m in diameter and is c. 0.7m high, whilst the other one is more elongated and measures 14 x 6m and c. 0.6m high. Three further mounds of similar form, though much degraded, lie to the north-east. These features are probably pillow mounds.
Projecting from the south-east end of the southerly pond is a scarp which appears to have been a wall. Sited along the south-western side of this are three parallel scarps that extend as far as the farm road, whilst on the northern side there are rectilinear scarps, possibly building platforms. (15)
The earthwork remains of Bradenstoke Priory and later garden features described above in (1-15) are visible on aerial photographs. A hollow way extends to the west from the western side of the scheduled area and may have been associated with the priory, or later use of the site. Ridge and furrow cultivation is visible within the scheduled area, as described above in (15), but is also located to the east and west of the site. These features were recorded from EH Reconnaissance aerial photographs of 2012. (16) |