Summary

The site of the medieval Cathedral and Benedictine Priory of St. Mary, which was founded in 1043 by Leofric and Godiva. Various excavations have taken place over many years, the most extensive being between 1999 and 2003.

Monument Type(s):

• ROAD (11th Century to Later Medieval - 1001 AD to 1539 AD)
• BLACKSMITHS WORKSHOP (Earlier Medieval to Later Medieval - 1101 AD to 1539 AD)
• ORCHARD (Earlier Medieval to Later Medieval - 1101 AD to 1539 AD)
• PRIORY (Earlier Medieval to Later Medieval - 1101 AD to 1539 AD)
• RELIGIOUS HOUSE (Earlier Medieval to Later Medieval - 1101 AD to 1539 AD)

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument COVSAM7: Priory Ruins
• Listed Building (I) 218543: PRIORY RUINS
• Conservation Area: Hill Top Conservation Area

Full description

8> c1043 a Benedictine House consisting of an abbot and 24 monks founded by
Earl of Mercia and C Godiva. Highly probable that the whole of Coventry
belonged to Godiva and that abbey founded within her territories..
No evidence in Domesday Book that abbey held any lands except own precinct. By 1113
priory (as abbey had become) was claiming a "half" of Coventry; the rest of
the town remaining to Earls of Chester..
Two halves divided (according to Earl Hugh II charter to abbey c1161-75) by
line along E-W axis of town. Prior half lay to the north, excluding the
castle; both extended beyond the area of the later city walls..
1102 - Bishop Robert de Limesey moved the seat of his diocese from Chester to
Coventry and laid lands on the abbey making it a cathedral priory and himself
bishop titular abbot..
After 1117 the monks produced their series of forged charters which included
supposed foundation charter..
It is also possible to trace back to the 14th century a persistent tradition that a
nunnery was founded in Coventry by St Osburg, its abbess in late 10th century, that
this nunnery was destroyed by the Danes under Edric the Traitor in 1016 and
that Leofric and Godiva used the same site for the foundation of their Bendedictine House
C1043. No sign of nunnery.

9> Part of monastery used as public cistern in 17th century; piped in "from the conduit
(spring) head into the citie".

11> Foundation Charter of the Monastery of the Blessed Mary at Coventry [1043]; The Popes Bull Confirming King Edward's Charter; and the main text of the Charter of King Edward the Confessor to the Abbey of St Mary Coventry: English translations quoted in full.

14> Boundary wall; cattle shed at a depth of 11ft with roof fallen in and bedding; Two fishponds: one made of mortared stone, 15-20ft wide and 2ft deep, 8ft deep from the land surface. Built near the stables and killing sheds of 1643 opposite the mill house. Fish would have been caught in the Swanswell, St Osburgs and Priory Pools and carried alive to these ponds for storage. An eel spur found and large numbers of larder hooks. 'A short distance to the west a wall of great thickness was discovered' made from large stones from earlier churches; 4ft thick and bonded with blacksmith's ashes; nearby slag and great quantity of nails from a blacksmithy?

19> Plumb House where lead for roofs and windows was hammered out was claimed by the Prior and the Church of St. Michaels; the latter probably rightly so as it stood in front of the Drapers's Hall near Bayley Lane.

23> Main Priory buildings and features digitised from this source covering major excavations 1999-2000.

Transactions of Birmingham & Warwickshire Archaeological Society, 1971, Excavations at the Cathedral & Benedictine Priory of St Mary Coventry (--ARTICLE). SCT551.

Wessex Archaeology, 1999, Holy Trinity Church Centre, Coventry: Archaeological Evaluation. Final Report. (--EVALUATION REPORT). SCT2203.

Coventry City Council, 2003, The Archaeology of the Medieval Cathedral and Priory of St Mary, Coventry (--MONOGRAPH). SCT1279.

<3> Pevsner N; Wedgwood A, 1966, The Buildings of England: Warwickshire, - (--MONOGRAPH). SCT653.

<4> Coventry Museums, 1977, Coventry Archaeology & Redevelopment, - (--MONOGRAPH). SCT704.

<8> Pugh, R. B. (ed), 1969, Victoria County History: A History of the County of Warwickshire - Volume VIII, 8; 1-; 293 (--VOLUME). SCT683.

<9> Singleton M, 1997, Water Towers in the Coventry Area, - (TEXT). SCT639.

<10> Rylatt M; Soden I, 1990, St Marys Benedictine Priory, 33; 94 (--ARTICLE). SCT553.

<11> Austin's Monthly Magazine of Instructive and Useful Information, 1932-1939, Extracts from "Austin's Monthly Magazine" of articles written by Mr J.B. Shelton 1932 - 1938, Vol.XXVI Nos. 321- 324 (--ARTICLE). SCT1615.

<14> Austin's Monthly Magazine of Instructive and Useful Information, 1932-1939, Extracts from "Austin's Monthly Magazine" of articles written by Mr J.B. Shelton 1932 - 1938, Vol.XXVII No. 331 (--ARTICLE). SCT1615.

<15> J. B. Shelton, 1949, The Story of Twenty-Two Years Excavations in Coventry, p.16-17 (-MANUSCRIPT). SCT1614.

<16> Austin's Monthly Magazine of Instructive and Useful Information, 1932-1939, Extracts from "Austin's Monthly Magazine" of articles written by Mr J.B. Shelton 1932 - 1938, Vol. XXXI No. 370 (--ARTICLE). SCT1615.

<19> Austin's Monthly Magazine of Instructive and Useful Information, 1932-1939, Extracts from "Austin's Monthly Magazine" of articles written by Mr J.B. Shelton 1932 - 1938, Vol. XXVII No. 333 (--ARTICLE). SCT1615.

<23> Coventry City Council, 2003, The Archaeology of the Medieval Cathedral and Priory of St Mary, Coventry, Front map (--MONOGRAPH). SCT1279.

<30> Coventry Museums Archaeology Unit, 1998, An Archaeological Investigation of the North Nave Wall of St. Mary's Cathedral Church, Coventry (--EVALUATION REPORT). SCT1330.

<34> Coventry Museum Archaeology Unit, 1999, Excavation of Ground Room GR5, Blue Coat School, Priory Row, Coventry (--EXCAVATION REPORT). SCT1606.

<35> Coventry City Council, 2001, Coventry Cathedral and Priory: A Virtual Guide (--GUIDE BOOK). SCT80.

Sources and Further Reading

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• ECT133 - Cathedral and Priory of St. Mary Excavations 1999-2002 (Ref: COVE62)
• ECT215 - Ladbroke's, New Buildings (Ref: COVE151)
• ECT295 - English Studies Centre, Priory Row (Ref: COVE230)
• ECT361 - Frater Undercroft Excavation, St Mary's Benedictine Priory 2000
• ECT406 - Meal Hall, Trinity Street
• ECT409 - Field Observations, Gate House 1938
• ECT65 - Excavations at the Cathedral and Benedictine Priory of St. Mary, Coventry 1965-67
• ECT71 - Blue Coat School Basement

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