TR 23 NW 17 - Benedictine Priory (Site of) - Historic Environment Record

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Monument record TR 23 NW 17 - Benedictine Priory (Site of)

Summary

First Benedictine house on the same site as the earlier abandoned nunnery of St. Peter's (TR 23 NW 48) when Nigel de Muneville gave the Church of St. Mary and St. Eanswith which stood within the precincts of Folkestone Castle (TR 23 NW 53) to the monks. In 1139 the monks moved from the castle site to a new church given to them by William de Averenches and a new priory. The exact location for the site is not known and could have fallen over the cliff side. Leland in the 1540's noted a burial ground exposed here by coast erosion, and impressive ruins of ecclesiastical character which contained much Roman bonding tile and which he called 'a solemn old nunnery'. Lambarde in 1826 reported much the same. These could be evidence of this site or the eariler nunnery.

Location

Grid reference	TR 2308 3592 (point) Estimated from sources
Map sheet	TR23NW
Civil Parish	FOLKESTONE, SHEPWAY, KENT
County	KENT
District	FOLKESTONE AND HYTHE, KENT

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Type and Period (1)

ALIEN PRIORY (BENEDICTINE CELL, Medieval - 1095 AD to 1139 AD?)

Full Description

First Benedictine house on the same site as the earlier abandoned nunnery of St. Peter's (TR 23 NW 48) When Nigel de Muneville gave the Church of St. Mary and St. Eanswith which stood within the precincts of Folkestone Castle (TR 23 NW 53) to the monks. In 1139 the monks moved from the castle site to a new church given to them by William de Averenches and a new priory.

The exact location for the site is not known and could have fallen over the cliff side. Leland in the 1540's noted a burial ground exposed here by coast erosion, and impressive ruins of ecclesiastical character which contained much Roman bonding tile and which he called 'a solemn old nunnery'. Lambarde in 1826 reported much the same. These could be evidence of this site or the eariler nunnery.(1-15)

<1> OS 25" 1957 (OS Card Reference). SKE48272.

<2> Md Rel Houses 1953 54 66 (Knowles & Hadcock) (OS Card Reference). SKE46681.

<3> Page, W. (ed), 1926, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Kent Volume II, VCH Kent 2 1926 236-8 (Monograph). SKE7944.

<4> Hasted, E., 1786, The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent: Volume 2, Hasted's Hist of Kent 2nd Ed 1799 8 157 163 179 (Monograph). SKE8061.

<5> Plan of the town of Folkestone 1782 (in Folkestone Museum) (OS Card Reference). SKE48526.

<6> Folkestone Dist 1921 (W H Elgar) (OS Card Reference). SKE43428.

<7> Nova Legenda Anglie 1 1901 297 (OS Card Reference). SKE47717.

<8> Leland's Itinerary 2nd Ed 1744 7 1931 (OS Card Reference). SKE46011.

<9> F1 CFW 29.04.64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42804.

<10> Southern Water Services, 1993, Dover & Folkestone Wastewater Treatment scheme Environmental Statement (Unpublished document). SKE6815.

<11> Monasticum Anglicanum (abridgement) 1 71 (W Dugdale) (OS Card Reference). SKE47327.

<12> Harper-Bill, C, 1978, The Priory and Parish of Folkestone in the Fifteenth Century, Arch Cant 93 1977 195-200 (C Harper-Bill) (Article in serial). SKE8384.

<13> Rigold, S. E., 1973, Roman Folkestone Reconsidered, Arch Cant 87 1972 35-36 (S E Rigold) (Article in serial). SKE8045.

<14> KAR 69 1982 212-214 (P Keller) (OS Card Reference). SKE45405.

<15> Field report for monument TR 23 NW 17 - April, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE5603.

Sources/Archives (15)

<1> SKE48272 OS Card Reference: OS 25" 1957.
<2> SKE46681 OS Card Reference: Md Rel Houses 1953 54 66 (Knowles & Hadcock).
<3> SKE7944 Monograph: Page, W. (ed). 1926. The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Kent Volume II. VCH Kent 2 1926 236-8.
<4> SKE8061 Monograph: Hasted, E.. 1786. The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent: Volume 2. Hasted's Hist of Kent 2nd Ed 1799 8 157 163 179.
<5> SKE48526 OS Card Reference: Plan of the town of Folkestone 1782 (in Folkestone Museum).
<6> SKE43428 OS Card Reference: Folkestone Dist 1921 (W H Elgar).
<7> SKE47717 OS Card Reference: Nova Legenda Anglie 1 1901 297.
<8> SKE46011 OS Card Reference: Leland's Itinerary 2nd Ed 1744 7 1931.
<9> SKE42804 OS Card Reference: F1 CFW 29.04.64.
<10> SKE6815 Unpublished document: Southern Water Services. 1993. Dover & Folkestone Wastewater Treatment scheme Environmental Statement.
<11> SKE47327 OS Card Reference: Monasticum Anglicanum (abridgement) 1 71 (W Dugdale).
<12>XY SKE8384 Article in serial: Harper-Bill, C. 1978. The Priory and Parish of Folkestone in the Fifteenth Century. Vol 93 Pages 195 - 200. Arch Cant 93 1977 195-200 (C Harper-Bill). [Mapped feature: #44751 Priory, ]
<13> SKE8045 Article in serial: Rigold, S. E.. 1973. Roman Folkestone Reconsidered. LXXXVII pages 31 - 41. Arch Cant 87 1972 35-36 (S E Rigold).
<14> SKE45405 OS Card Reference: KAR 69 1982 212-214 (P Keller).
<15> SKE5603 Bibliographic reference: Field report for monument TR 23 NW 17 - April, 1964.