Summary : Augustinian Abbey of St Thomas the Martyr, founded 1178 by Richard de Luci, justiciar of England, and dissolved 1525. Excavations in the early 19th century recovered nearly all of the plan of the abbey. Much of it is of 12th century build and survives in places to 2-3 metres high. The aisled, cruciform, church lay to the South of the claustral buildings. The West range consisted of the brewhouse, kitchen and cellarer's building, the north range was the frater, and the East range had the sacristy, chapter house, parlour, dorter undercroft, and warming house. To the North of the East range was a Northwards extension containing the Abbots lodging and reredorter. East of the parlour was the infirmary with its chapel and misericord. Excavations in the 1950's located a further large building between the infirmary and parlour. The remains exist as ruins and footings. |
More information : (TQ 479788) Remains of Lesnes Abbey (GT) (Augustinian, Founded A.D. 1178) (1)
Lesnes Abbey, Augustinian Canons (Arrouaisian), founded 1178, dissolved 1525, excavated 1909-13 when a complete plan of the church and claustral block, infirmary, etc., was recovered. Re-excavated in the 1950's by the L.C.C. and MOW. Scheduled. (2-9)
Lesnes Abbey is as described by Auth. 9: the ruins which are situated in a public park, are preserved by the L.C.C. and open to the public.
Published 1:2500 survey revised (including the Conduit Pond at TQ47677829). (10)
In 2013 groundworks in advance of the construction of the new visitor centre to the west of the abbey church revealed partial remains of what appears to be the lay cemetery for the abbey. Of the 26 burials thought to have been revealed, six skeletons were analysed in situ by Oxford Archaeology who concluded that the group included three males, one female, one junvenile and one where the sex was unclear. The full extent of the cemetery was not revealed. (12) (13)
A research project undertaken by Historic England in 2018 and early 2019 focused on aspects of the wider abbey landscape and also its post-dissolution use. (13)
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