| Summary : Augustinian Priory founded in 1171, and dissolved in 1538. The gatehouse survives intact, and the remains of the frater are incorporated in later buildings. The reredorter remains as low ruins. Excavations circa 1933 by Myres recovered the history of the church. In its earliest phase it was an aisleless building, but shortly after completion, ailses and transepts were added. In its third phase, the transept chapels were demolished and the chapel aisled to its full length. The cloister was also excavated, and showed the conventional Augustinian layout to the South of the church, foundations of the chapter house, dormitory, the dormitory undercroft, reredorter, refectory, cellarage and store rooms. Excavations also traced much of the precinct wall, and 200 yards to the South-West of the church, the Priory's wharf on the riverside. Two Saxon brooches of 8th-9th century date were also found on the site. |
More information : [TM 3748 4918] Butley Abbey on site of [T.I.] Abbey [G.T.]
[TM 3747 4936] Butley Priory (Vicarage) Formerly [T.I.]
Abbey Gatehouse [G.T.] (also)
[TM 3751 4921] Pillars of Masonry [T.I.]
[TM 3751 4919] Stone Coffin [T.I.] (1)
Butley Priory: Augustinian Canons Fd. 1171. Diss. 1538. (2)
Historical Account. (3)
Dedicated to St. Mary: site now occupied by the farm buildings of 'Butley Abbey'. Incompletely excavated by Dr. M.J.Rendall 1030-33, and the plan of the Priory Church and the cloisters and domestic buildings recovered, also the site of a 13th c. or earlier wharf at TM 3736 4907. The W. side of the Precinct wall with its N and S angles was found immediately beyond the fishponds at TM 3737 4932 but no certain traces of it were found elsewhere. It is thought that on the E. it followed the course of the road E. of Chapel Wood. Nowhere is it preserved above ground. With the exception of a 14th c. arch leading from the S. transept to the S. choir aisle, an adjacent block of masonry which must have filled the western bay of the S. choir arcade, and two frgments in the N. transept, no part of the church remains above ground, and of the domestic building the only traces survive in two large barns on the sites of the Refectory and the Reredorter which have been so extensively repaired and rebuilt as to show superficially little trace of their mediaeval orgin. (4)
The one complete building remaining is the Priory Gatehouse, described by Pevsner as one of the most ambitious and interesting buildings of the 14th c. in Suffolk. It comprises a wide, lofty, carriageway with with a narrow footway by the side, rooms on either side and largeer rooms above. The building is richly decorated with knapped flint and the N. front displays a great armorial comprising of a frieze of 35 shields alternating with 35 fleur-de-lys panels of the same size. By the heraldry shown the gatehouse can be dated to 1320-5. Grade I. (5-7)
The remains of this Priory are as described by Auths. 4 and 5 and comprise:
The gatehouse situated at TM 3747 4936, in use as a private house (Butley Priory) and in excellent condition. GP O/62/73/5: N. front. 6: S. Side.
A 14th c. arch and a few lesser fragments of masonry, sole remains of the Priory Church: centred TM 3751920. GP AO/62/73/4: general view from S.E.
The frater incorporated into a barn at TM 3747 4916 and showing no details beyond its ancient rubble walls Refitted as a mill.
The remains of the reredorter situated at TM 3751 4914, showing a few corbels and buttreses in its rubble walls but completely refitted internally as a mill. GP AO/62/73/3; W. side of reredorter from N.W.
A short stretch of the footings of the precinct wall at TM37344926.
Fishponds at TM 3737 4932 water-filled and in good condition. The only other item extant is a prob. 13th c. stone coffin formerly situated at TM 3751 4919 but now broken and lying in pieces in the building angle on the W. side of the 14th c. arch. (8)
Anglo saxon animal brooch found at Butley Priory, in Norwich Museum. A second brooch of this type also from Butley, is in the British Museum, 8th, 9th c. (9) |