Axholme Priory |
| Hob Uid: 60927 | |
Location :
North Lincolnshire
Owston Ferry
|
| Grid Ref : SE8060001900 |
| Summary : The earthworks of a charterhouse (Carthusian priory) which was founded in 1395-96 for a prior and eight monks by Thomas Mowbray, Earl of Nottingham, at the site of a small 12th century Premonstratensian chapel. Of the ten Carthusian foundations in England, Axholme was the seventh to be established with building work on the charterhouse starting in 1397. It was finally incorporated into the Carthusian Order in 1432, and in 1447 new building work was started, completed shortly after 1449. Axholme Priory was dissolved in 1539 and the estate was granted to John Candysshe who converted the priory into a manor surrounded by gardens and orchards. The core of the site is a roughly square moated island 148 metres across, surrounded on at least three sides by a 10 metre wide moat ditch. The moated island formed the inner court of the charterhouse and contains well preserved earthworks of the priory's cloister. Further buried remains of the priory are thought to include the church, chapterhouse and frater. To the north west, north and east of the moated island there are further earthworks and buried remains of the outer court of the charterhouse. Geophysical survey has identified a number of features to the north west of the island, including the gatehouse with a trackway. To the south of the trackway there is a level platform, whose location suggests that it was a timber building housing guest quarters. In the field to the east of the moat there are a number of earthworks including terraced areas, ditches and pits. These are considered to relate such things as workshops, stores, bake houses and kitchens, all of which would have been located close to, but outside of the inner court of the priory. |
More information : [SE 8059 0191] Low Melwood on site of Priory [G.T.]
(Carthusian Founded AD 1397-8) (1)
Carthusian priory founded at Axholme, or Epworth, 1397-8 and
dissolved, 1538.
The conventional buildings were enclosed within a large square
moat. Foundations are still traceable along the west and south
ranges. The derelict, late 17th century house (Low Melwood)
incorporates some remains of the original buildings.
Apparently associated earthworks are visible on air photographs
[at approximately SE 8089 0201]. Axholme Priory, site scheduled.
(2-5)
The derelict house of Low Melwood is much restored and
principally of 18th century brick. It incorporates remains of the
Priory, including a door, two windows and building stone.
Of the formerly square moat, three sides survive. Building
foundations exist on the west side of the enclosure but are
barely intelligible. (6)
SE 809019 (sic, siting of earthworks mentioned by Auth 5) Priory.
Site of early shrine and chapel dedicated to Blessed Virgin Mary.
A Papal Bull of 1398 mentions that it "was called anciently the
Priory of the Wood". A Premonstratensian cell of Sulby Abbey was
established at Melwood Grange by the late 12th century; the
Carthusian priory was founded at Melwood 1397-8; and the
Premonstratensian holdings (and possibly buildings) at Melwood
were transferred to the Carthusians 1399. The Priory was
surrendered by prior and eight monks in 1538.De la Pryme
describes the buildings as they stood about 1670-80 and
records that they were demolished and a smaller house built
about 1688.
Three sides of the moat which enclosed conventual buildings, and
further slight earthworks to north and east survive; the moat has
been cleaned.
The present building at Low Melwood incorporates carved stone.
Cellars, incorporating a stone column, may be part of the priory
building.
A small excavation by P Wenham in 1968 revealed heavily-robbed
brick foundations and a brick-lined culvert of apparently late
medieval date. Finds in Scunthorpe Museum (Acc no OF/01).
(7-11)
SK 807019. Axholme Priory. Scheduled. (12)
CARTHUSIAN PRIORY (SE 806 019 GCE). The carthusian priory at Axholme
was founded in 1396 by Thomas Mowbray, the house was dissolved in
1539. A former farmhouse, now used as an agricultural building
incorporates some earlier fragments which may be monastic in origin.
The conventual buildings of the house are presumed to lie on the
moated platform. However the date of the moat is open to conjecture
and may be post-medieval in date. It is similarly difficult to
assign a precise date to the earthworks surrounding the moat.
Subsequent to the dissolution the priory was converted into a private
residence with gardens, this phase of activity is recorded as a
separate record SE 80 SW 14. The above description is summarised
from a detailed RCHME level 3 survey of Axholme Priory carried out in
October 1991. It was surveyed at scale of 1.1000 and the results
of the survey deposited in the NMR. (13)
The moat and earthworks described by authorities 2-5 and 7-11 were
seen as earthworks and mapped from good quality air photographs. A
hollow way runs N-S through the middle of the area enclosed by the
moat - at SE 8058 0189. To the south of the moat are a number of
possible enclosures defined by a ditch and bank, centred at SE 8060
0178. These could be associated with either the priory or the later
house and gardens (see SE 80 SW 14).
The earthworks referred to by authorities 2-5 as being at SE 8089
0201 are quite complex. There appear to be a number (at least six)
ditch defined enclosures about 40m wide, located at SE 8094 0205
and SE 8088 0202. One of these enclosures has a mound situated
within it at SE 8084 0198. (Morph No. LI.665.5.1 - 5.8)
This description is based on data from the RCHME MORPH2 database.
(14) |
Monument Period Name : Medieval
Display Date : 1397 to 1539
Monument End Date : 1539
Monument Start Date : 1397
Monument Type : Carthusian Monastery, Priory, Moat, Cloister, Building Platform, Terraced Ground, Church, Chapter House, Refectory, Gatehouse, Workshop, Storehouse, Bakehouse, Kitchen, Guest House
Evidence : Earthwork, Sub Surface Deposit, Conjectural Evidence
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