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HOLY TRINITY PRIORY

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Site of Benedictine Priory, founded 1077-93 and dissolved in 1525-8. The Priory of the Holy Trinity stood on the north of the High Street, about halfway between Castle Street and the West Gate, and its grounds occupied nearly the whole North-West quarter of town, including the Buel Croft meadow. Development of 56, High Street in 1983 revealed inhumations in chalk cists, thought to be the Priory cemetery.

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[Name SU 60608953] Site of [T.I.] Priory [G.T.]

[SU 60598950] Site of [T.I.] Trinity Church [G.T.] (1)

Holy Trinity Priory (Benedictine) Founded 1077-93, Dissolved 1525-8. (2)

The only visible evidence of this Priory consists of a few fragments of mouldings, etc., including a small carved head, probably a label stop, incorporated into the end of a wall at SU 60528954. (3)

There is no doubt of the general accuracy of the O.S. siting, but the precise sites of the Priory and its church are unknown.

In addition to the re-used material seen by 3 there were various other worked stones visible in the vicinity in the 19th cent. Much of the church was used in the repair of Wallingford Bridge in 1530. (4)

(SU 6060 8953). Priory of the Holy Trinity stood on the north of the High St, about halfway between Castle St and the west gate, and its grounds occupied nearly the whole NW quarter of town, including the Buel Croft meadow. (5)

Hedges mentions discovery of massive flint foundations on more than 1 occasion, also of inhumations, a stone coffin, ornamental seal, and several encaustic tiles. In a fence wall forming the E boundary of the grounds, there is a fragment of Norman arch bearing a graceful mask with beak and ears. Portions of chevron moulding and other fragments are built into the walls of buildings at the southern end. In 1525 the Priory surrendered the house, and 5 years later, "half the Priory church was bought by the bridgemen for the repairs of the bridge. Several stones with Norman diaper work and chevron ornament can be seen in the arches on the Oxon bank. (6)

During development at 56 High Street, the Western Section revealed extensive graveyard disturbance in which inhumations in local chalk cists were found. No signs of masonry. (7)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 25" 1912

( 2a) General reference

Herts. i, 38 (Clutterbuck)

( 2b) General reference

St. Albans, 495. (Newcombe)

( 2c) General reference

Gesta (Rolls.series),i,55 (Walsingham)

( 2d) General reference

Gesta Rolls series i 56

( 2) General reference

VCH (Berks) Vol.2, 1907, pp.77-9

( 3) Field Investigators Comments

F1 CFW 14-FEB-61

( 4e) General reference

The Ants. of Wallingford, 1894, 26-28 (J.E. Field)

( 4) Field Investigators Comments

F2 GHP 25-JUL-63

( 5) General reference

Journ of Berks Archaeol + Achit Soc, Vol 3 january 1984, pp 97-98 (J E Field)

( 6) General reference

The History of Wallingford, Vol 2, 1881, pp 358, 254, 336 (J Hedges)

( 7) General reference

CBA 9, 13, 1983, p149 (B Durham)

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