| Summary : An Augustinian monastery founded in 1135 and dissolved in 1536. The cruciform priory church is still standing, restored from a ruin in 1858, and reinstated for divine worship. Much of the standing fabric of the church is from the late 12th-early 13th century. Of the claustral buildings which stood to the South of the church, only the refectory and the adjacent frater undercroft survive, incorporated in the later manor house. The abbey mill stood circa 110 metres East of the priory, parts of the mill race remaining. The mill was rebuilt in the 18th century with a stable and barn a cart shed was added in the early 19th century. The mill was remodeled in circa 1830 when a cottage added. Scheduled and in guardianship. The main priory is in the care of English Heritage on behalf of the Secretary of State. The upstanding remains of the mill and its associated buildings are not included in guardianship. |
More information : [NZ 1160 9832] BRINKBURN PRIORY [G.T] (Augustinian) (1)
A priory for Augustinian canons at BRINKBURN was founded by WILLIAM BERTRAM I of MITFORD during the reign of HENRY I [1100-1135]. It was dependent on the monastery of ST MARY DE INSULA, probably the priory of PENTNEY in NORFOLK. At first the priory was apparently dedicated to ST. PETER but from the reign of HENRY II it appears as the convent of ST. PETER and ST. PAUL. The canons, whose number seems to have been twelve owed allegiance at first to the prior and convent of PENTNEY. [See NORFOLK 46 SW 1]
Little is known of the history of the priory except what can be learned from the Chartulary. On 19th February, 1200/1 KING JOHN granted a confirmation to the canons and a charter of confirmation was granted on March 19th 1252/3 by HENRY III. In 1292 the prior was assessed at #31.5.7d About 1322 the prior and convent petitioned the king on account of the losses they had sustained from the Scots. Further relief was granted in 1331,1333 and 1334 but the canons were still complaining of poverty in 1391.
The house was dissolved in 1536, the prior being granted a pension of #11 per annum. Since then BRINKBURN has passed through several hands and is now [1904] the property of MRS HUGH FENWICK.
The site of the priory is one of perfect seclusion being situated on a small lough between steep wooded banks of the river, which here makes a sharp bend. (List of priors pre 1135-pre 1536)
The priory of Augustinian Canons at Brinkburn was founded c1135, (e) apparently for 12 canons. It was dependent on PENTNEY until before 1188 (?) but afterwards independent. The net income in 1535 was #68.
There were five canons in 1379 and eight in 1381.(f)
The buildings of the Priory are in excellent condition although unoccupied. The present owner is CAPT. FENWICK of BRINKBURN HIGH HOUSE. Condition unchanged.
COMPONENT No:
Priory Church 1.1
Cloisters 1.2
Chapter House 1.3
Frater 1.4
Dorter 1.5
Sacristy 1.6
Mill 1.7
Fish ponds 1.8
Priory House 1.9
The erection of the church at BRINKBURN appears to have extended over a period exceeding a quarter of a century and was commenced a few years before the end of the 12th cent. It is a fine example of the transitional period following on the Norman. The work appears to have begun with the choir which has never undergone alteration. The west front of the nave is fully developed. Early English. Some alterations,including the construction of a chamber over the north aisle were made in the 14th century.
As the convent had a definite ecclesiastical district attached to it, divine service was not discontinued at the dissolution in 1536. About 1577 it was without an incumbent and was served by a stipendiary priest. The church was maintained in tenantable repair until the beginning of the 17th century but it then fell into decay and during the course of the century the roof fell in. By 1683 regular services had lapsed but occasional offices including burials continued until the beginning of the 19th century. In 1858 the roofless church was restored, the South-West angle of the nave being rebuilt, and the church re-roofed and refenestrated. Divine service was re-instituted, which has been continued up to the present [1904] time.
A commission appointed in 1650 recommended that BRINKBURN be added to the parish of LONG HORSLEY. In 1717 it is referred to as a chapel and in 1767 the vicar of FELTON claimed the priory church as a chapel in his parish. By order in council given at WINDSOR in 1891 BRINKBURN was united for ecclesiastical purposed to LONG FRAMLINGTON. The church at LONG FRAMLINGTON was to be the parish church. A special reservation was made regarding the rights of the owner of the estate to appoint a chaplain.
The house was founded c 1135 but the church was not rebuilt till 1195 - 1220. The architecture is late transitional. In the choir of the church at BRINKBURN is the grave slab of WILLIAM, prior of BRINKBURN, 1484. On it is a floriated cross, mitre, pastoral staff and a marginal inscription. (2-15)
NZ 1160 9833 Although in perfect condition the church is no longer in use for divine worship.
Around the foot of the walls of the church there are many stone fragments including pieces of cross heads, grave slabs and window tracery. Some small portions of the cloisters still remain. The cloister garth occupied the usual position on the SW of the church and measured about73 feet E-W and 65 feet N-S. In the south wall of the nave, towards the cloisters is a fine arcade of trefoil headed arches and near to the door of the south transept is a double aumbry. There is a projecting ledge over the arcade supporting a wall plate, to which thetimbers of the roof of the cloister walk were secured.
Centred NZ 115983 Description in authority (1) correct. The cloister garth would occupy the space between the south wall of the nave and the house containing the remains of the frater (NZ 19 NW 1.4)
Small portions of the chapter house still remain. On the south side of the south transept is the outline of vaulting, probably of a passage or vestibule leading to the chapter house [This feature is annotated on accompanying plan as:- "Vestibule to Chapter House?"]
NZ 1161 9831. The remains of the 'vestibule to the chapter house' consist of :-
(i) Traces of vaulting on the south wall of the aisle to the south transept and a fragment of wall, including the lower part of a pillar, projecting from the SE corner of the aisle.
(ii) West wall of the vestibule with a pointed doorway.
(iii) South wall of the vestibule, with a skewed window, traces of vaulting and the base of a pillar.
The remains are in good condition although the south wall is rather overgrown.
Condition unchanged. (16)
The site of the refectory is occupied by the present mansion house. A segmental vaulted chamber in the cellars with recesses and a shouldered doorway were undoubtedly parts of the original undercroft of the refectory.
The mason's marks and general character of the masonry of the segmental barrel vault below the modern house show it to be the same date as the church, (late 12th c).
The undercroft of the frater is embedded in the cellarage of the modern mansion.
NZ 1158 9829 There are no external traces of this cellar. The house is at present unoccupied.
"The east side of the cloister south of the transept was occupied by the dormitory; it communicated with the church by a door in the south wall of the transept which opened on to the night stairs. A series of projecting corbels below the transept windows supported the roof."
NZ 1159 9830. The only traces of the dorter are those referred to by authority (1) and indications of a pointed roof line. The door to the night stairs is in the south wall of the aisle of the south transept. In the north wall of the choir is an inserted shouldered door once opening into a sacristy, whence a staircase led into the triforium of the north transept. [Plan shows outline of small structure with a newel stair at the angle of choir and north transept. It is annotated.
NZ 1162 9833. In addition to the doorway (now blocked) referred to by authority (1) there are traces of the roof line of a small building in the north wall of the chancel and the east wall of the north transept aisle.
[NZ 1174 9829] Brinkburn Mill (Disused) [T.I.]
"The mill race still flows between the site of the refectory [NZ 19 NW 1.4] and the RIVER COQUET. About 130 yards to the east is the site of the abbey mill, and in the masonry of the cottages now erected where the mill stood is a quantity of re-used mediaeval
stonework, whilst the abutment wall seems to be entirely old."
The water mill at BRINKBURN is mentioned in 1538.
The lower portions of the mill are mostly of mediaeval work. There arealso fragments of a massive retaining wall built by the monks. 'The intake of the mill-race, which passed underground south of the frater,can be seen near the corner of the [modern] house; it doubtless servedas the main drain. The cottages in the wood downstream mark the site of the priory mill.
The SW wall of the disused mill contains stonework obviously much older than the remainder of the structure. It appears to be in situ but contains no architectural features for dating purposes.
The retaining walls of the exposed part of the mill race and part of the wall which abuts the river SE of the mill are of old and weathered masonry and appear to be original. The mill intake, immediately south of the SW corner of the house, appears to be quite
modern.
Condition unchanged.
"Across a level lough to the NW of the priory, where the river bends again and forms a loop, there are indications of a channel or pass anddepressions which are believed to be the site of the priory fish ponds."
[Area centred NZ 115987] The channel referred to by authority (1) is either a former course of the river or a by-pass caused during flooding. It is very wide (approx 20.0m) and is an entirely natural feature. A water-filled depression in this channel and two other ponds to the SW show no evidence of artificiality and are quite unlike mediaeval fish ponds.
The area has obviously been subjected to much flooding and silting and was quite likely the site of the fish ponds. The land around the Priory itself is very constricted and the level haugh referred to by authority (1) is the nearest flat area with convenient water
supply in the vicinity. (17)
NZ 1164 9828. Brinkburn Priory Augustinian priory, mill, gateway and post-Dissolution house. Scheduled RSM No 23233. (18)
Grade I Listed Building- for details see the relevant designated records. (19)
Additional source: 1992 edition of the guidebook. (20)
The English Heritage Guidebook was re-written for publication in 2003 and features a "tour" of the priory, an overview of its history and features on changes in architectural styles and life at the priory. it includes reproductions of historic images, reconstruction drawings and phase plans. The phase plan shows much of the standing fabric of the priory church to date from the late 12-early 13th centuries, with some small 14th century alterations and Victorian repairs/alterations. Smaller elements of the "Manor House" date to the late 12-early 13th centuries and the late 16th-early 17th centuries (these ealier features are most evident in the basement level); whilst the western portion dates mostly from the period 1830-37. (21)
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