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Designations

• Scheduled Monument 1002292: Wilmington Priory
• Conservation Area: WILMINGTON
• SHINE: Wilmington Priory: medieval priory

Summary

Benedictine Alien Priory founded before 1243 and dissolved 1414, on site of/incorporating earlier Alien or Priory Cell founded before 1086 and dissolved before 1243. The Abbey of Grestein held lands here at Domesday, other endowments had been granted and a small cell was established. The earliest record of the priory, of St Mary, is in 1243 when the cell appears to have been enlarged to accomodate several monks under a prior. The present L-shaped house is a principally 14th century building incorporating some 13th century work, the whole altered and adapted in the 18th century. To the south west of the house are the ruins of the 14th century Upper Hall, while to the north are further ruins, beneath which is a 14th century vaulted undercroft.

Monument Types

• ALIEN PRIORY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• BENEDICTINE ALIEN CELL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• BENEDICTINE MONASTERY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
• HOUSE (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Description

(TQ 5425 0420) Wilmington Court (NAT) and remains of PRIORY (NR) (Benedictine) (NAT) (1) A small cell appears to have been established here before 1100 by Grestain Abbey. The earliest record of the priory is in 1243 when thecell appears to have been enlarged. Dissolved in 1414. Benedictine. (2)
(See illustration) (3)
The Priory, together with adjacent downland, was given to the Sussex Archaeological Trust by the Duke of Devonshire in 1925. The roofed portions of the buildings provide custodians' quarters and accommodation for a coming museum of agriculture implements. The remains of the priory are fragmentary, consisting mainly of a good vaulted cellar c 1300, the moulded doorway of the 13th c hall and a porch before it with 14th c vaulting. Over this, and of the same date, was the Priors Chapel and adjoining it his new hall, of which the S wall and angle turrets still stand. (4)
(See oblique A/P). (5)
The remains of Wilmington Priory, as described and planned in the official guide attached, and open to the public. The S wing (shaded red on antiquity model) is still roofed, adn occupied by the custodian, who states that the house is known as Wilmington Priory, there being no knowledge of the name Wilmington Court shown on OS 25". Published survey (25") revised. (6)
The remains of the walls of a late Medieval barn survive at the S end of the site. Topographical evidence suggest that this area which contains several other barns and cottages, some disused, fell within the enciente of the alien priory. Scheduled monument 122. (Area outlined on AM). (7)
5208 WILMINGTON THE STREET (west side) Wilmington Priory TQ 5404 44/172 30.8.66 2. The property of the Sussex Archaeological Trust. This priory was an offshoot of the Benedictine Abbey of Grestain in Normandy which was founded about 1200 as a sort of grange or manorhouse for the supervision of the Abbey's English estates. It was suppressed with all the alien houses in 1414. The present L-shaped house is a principally C14 building incorporating some C13 work the whole altered and adapted in the C18. Two storeyes. Five windows. Faced with flints and stone rubble with red brick window dressings, the south wing cemented with an angle buttress. Hipped tiled roof. Sash windows with glazing bars intact. Doorway with flat hood on brackets. The west end of the ground floor was the porch. This has C14 stone quadripartite vaulting and a C13 stone pointed north doorway. To the south-west of the house are the ruins of the C14 Upper Hall of ashlar, flints and some brick consisting of 2 octagonalturrets with a wall between having a large window of 3 tiers of 3 lights with stone mullions and transoms. To the north of the house are further ruins, beneath which is a C14 vaulted undercroft. AM. [8]
The monument includes a Benedictine Priory, called Wilmington Priory, surviving as upstanding and below-ground remains. It is situated on a gentle slope on the south side of the village of Wilmington, just north of the escarpment forming the north-eastern edge of the South Downs. The Benedictine Priory was founded before 1243 and dissolved in about 1414 and is on the site of, and incorporates, an earlier cell of the Abbey of Grestain in Normandy, which was founded before 1086. Among the earliest surviving architectural details is a 13th century doorway which leads into the Old Hall, the site of which is now part occupied by Wellhouse Court. This is an L-shaped building, which is principally a 14th century priory building incorporating some earlier 13th century features as well as alterations dating from the 15th century through to the 18th century. It is two storeys high, constructed of stone with red brick window dressings and a tiled roof. At the west end of the ground floor is the porch with 14th century quadripartite vaulting. To the south-west of the house are the ruins of the 14th century New Hall or Great Hall. The upstanding remains include two octagonal turrets either side of a wall and are built of ashlar, flint and some brick. The wall includes a window of three tiers of three lights with stone mullions and transoms. North of the house are further remains including a 14th century vaulted undercroft. Parts of the walls of a late medieval barn survive at the south end of the site. On the east side of the priory are the 19th century walls of the Village Pound.

The Abbey of Grestain is recorded as holding lands at Wilmington at the time of the Domesday Survey and a small cell had been founded on the site. The cell was enlarged in 1243 to accommodate several monks under a prior and was known as the Priory of St Mary but functioned more as a grange, supervising the Abbey’s English estates. It was suppressed alongside other alien priories in 1415 and granted to the Dean and Chapter of Chichester. In 16th century it passed into private hands, becoming a manor house. The remains of the Priory and surrounding land were given to the Sussex Archaeological Trust by the Duke of Devonshire in 1925 and latterly formed a museum[10]

Sources

Associated Events

• Field observation on TQ 50 SW 30

Associated Monuments - none recorded

Associated Finds - none recorded

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