Monument Type(s):

• BUILDING? (Roman - 43 AD? to 410 AD?)
• MONASTIC PRECINCT (Early Medieval/Dark Age - 410 AD to 1066 AD)

Summary

Saxon Abbey Precinct containing possibly two churches on the site of Roman occupation.

Related records

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESA309 - 1901 excavation by Rev Cranage at Abbey Church, Much Wenlock
• ESA4963 - 1994 evaluation of the Royal Oak carpark, Barrow Street by UBAS
• ESA7558 - 1962-1963 excavations at Wenlock Priory by Jackson and Fletcher
• ESA10138 - 2022 WB on new signage at Wenlock Abbey by Nigel Baker

Description

Saxon Abbey Precinct containing possibly two churches on the site of Roman occupation. Believed to be founded by Merewald in the C7. Must have contained C7 church, graveyard and occupation debris. Woods believes that a Roman building was the focus and was still standing into the C7 and beyond. <1>

Malmsbury wrote that the Abbey was deserted by the time the Cluniac Priory was founded c1080. <2>

Of the two original churches one is believed to lie under or close to the Priory (SA307) and one under the Church of Holy Trinity (SA308). Horton and Stamper believe that part of the alignment of the building under the Priory may be preserved in the north wall of the Refectory. <3>

CMHTS Comment:- The extent of this component is intended to include the Saxon Abbey - not to accurately determine its limits. <4>

CMHTS Report <5>

No elements related to the Saxon precinct were recorded during an evaluation carried out to the rear of The Royal Oak, Barrow Street. <6>

Like many early Christian communities, the abbey had two churches. An apsidal building of Roman rather than Celtic plan was seen lying below the tower crossing of the later medieval abbey church in 1901 excavations by Cranage. This early church was probably used by monks and members of the lay community. The second church - for nuns and other women - was on the site of the lady chapel and south aisle of Holy Trinity Church, the town's parish church. There may also have been an oratory, although no trace of this survives. The remains of another church building, found in 1901 to the east of the surviving crossing, may date to either c1053 (Leofric's refoundation) or c1080 (the establishment of the Cluniac Priory). <7>

The watching-brief was undertaten during the installation of new visitor signage across the monument. There was no evidence that undisturbed medieval strata or structures were disturbed or impacted anywhere, and no artefacts were found. Demolition/destruction deposits were cut through outside the west end of the nave and west of the south-west crossing pier. The excavation in the Chapter House, just made contact with a stony or rubbly deposit at the 600mm completed depth. The excavation south of the choir also contacted a more limited horizon of stony material. ->

-> Apart from the excavations at the entrance to the monument (south of the shop building), and north of the north transept and south of the main path, all of the observed holes were in ground whose profile has already been truncated by clearance excavations, the edge of which – a much eroded section about 0.5m high – is evident to the east of the north transept and north of the choir. Beyond (north of) this section are mature Scots pine trees standing on ground which has presumably never been excavated. <8>

Sources

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