See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

Newenham Abbey Church lay to the north of the cloisters. The abbey church was started in 1248 and completed 1287. It comprised a nave with n & s aisles, and two transepts, each containing 3 easter chapels and a short choir. The north wall of the yard of the farm is part of the south wall of the nave. There are recesses in the south face of this wall (everett). Vis=part of the north wall upstanding in early 19th century, and fragments of walls of south transept and east end seen and planned. Plan and dimensions of church discussed, and building progress as outlined in cartulary described (davidson, 1832,1843). Vis=16/10/1953 (os) a plan by davidson (c.1843) shows the west wall of the nave in line with the e wall of the w range, but existing remains show that the nave extended further w than this. The e end of the church site is covered by mounds of building debris. Vis=the outbuilding n of lower abbey farmhouse, is of ashlar and rubble with a modern corrugated iron roof. It probably incorporates part of the n wall of the church in which are two large arched recesses (in fact the south wall, dmg). Medieval and later (doe, 1960). Vis=14/4/1977 (silvester). The building of the barn on the site of the church caused the digging of 31 stanchion pits, which produced evidence of walls, robber trenches etc (worksheet & plan in parish file). Vis=report on findings during construction of the barn, interpretation of the church and description of the finds in allan & silvester. Fragments of an e-w wall towards the w end of the church may have originally divided the nave from the monks choir. A n-s wall immediately w of this may have been a temporary blocking wall constructed between two building programmes, or even part of the temporary chapel built in the 1240's. Towards the e end of the church (where the barn is now sited) there is evidence for the monks choir or presbytery. The east end of the church is unknown. The digging of the stanchion pits revealed a number of decorated tiles in situ; these came from the floor of one of the three chapels dedicated in 1270. Evidence for further interpretation of the church was lost by the unsupervised extension to the barn and clearance of the nave area. The work did produce a large number of medieval tile fragments (see sy29ne/14/4) and architectural fragments, chiefly of blue lias & limestone. Roman tiles had been re-used in the church fabric (allan & silvester). Vis=described by william of worcester in 1478. Nave 100 steps long, choir 40 steps and transepts 76 steps (harvey) (estimated at c.61m, 24m and 47m, dmg). Vis=illustrated by swete in 1795 (swete, dro). Vis=medieval and later outbuilding incorporating part of north wall of abbey church (doe, 1983). Vis=28/1/1985 (griffiths) part of the south wall of the name (as described above) still survives in the outbuilding, although some of the blocking wall and aisle wall noted by allan and silvester has since been lost. The only other part of the church not yet built upon is the south transept (in east range) surviving as earthworks. Recent disturbance of the ground in the area of the south nave aisle shows tiles in situ very close to present ground surface (griffiths). Vis=8/8/1986 (robinson) fmw visit.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1011671: Newenham Abbey

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SY29NE/14/3
• Old SAM County Ref: 354(PART)
• Old SAM Ref: 24843

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CHURCH (Roman to Post Medieval - 43 AD to 1750 AD (Between))

Full description

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV127108.

Doe/hhr:axminster rd/(1960)prov list/1.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV127109.

Des=letters from a. W. Everett/(1937)/photocopy in parish file.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV127110.

Everett, a. W. /dcnq/20(1938-1939)97.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV127111.

Allan, j. P. + silvester, r. J. /pdas/39(1981)159-171/plan/copy in parish file.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV127112.

Osa=sy29ne4.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV127113.

Des=dcc conservation section photos/620/19-25(-/1/1985)in parish file.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV127114.

Des=davidson, j. /history of axminster/(1832)/plan/dro.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV127115.

Davidson, j. /history of newenham abbey/(1843)/plan.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV127116.

Harvey, j. M. /william worcestre itineraries/(1969)124,125.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV127117.

Dro=564m/9/119,123(illustrations by swete).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV127118.

Doe/hhr:axminster/(1983)1-2.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV127119.

Des=griffiths, d. M. /survey of newenham abbey(-/2/1985)in parish file.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV127120.

Des=dcc conservation section photo/621/12a-13a,16a-17a,19a,21a-27a(-/1/1985).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV127121.

Des=slides in smr(-/1/1985).

Exeter Archaeology, 2003-2004, East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Archaeological Survey, Site No. 1155 (Archive - Survey). SDV351568.

Newenham Abbey. Cistercian house founded in 1247 from Beaulieu dissolved 1539. Parts of the remaining structures are incorporated into the buildings of Lower Abbey Farm and buried remains, including those of the church and monastic graveyard, chapel, cloister and tithe barn lie beneath and around Lower and Higher Abbey Farms. The site is a Scheduled Monument.
SMR.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.