Monument Type(s):

• MONASTIC PRECINCT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1540 AD)

Summary

A monastic precinct of medieval date containing the church and cloisteral range, cemetery, tower, and gatehouse, with a holloway leading south from the gatehouse, large fishpond, and possible mill site.

Related records

Associated Finds: None recorded

Associated Events

• ESA30 - 1993 field observation by Worcestershire Archaeological Service
• ESA309 - 1901 excavation by Rev Cranage at Abbey Church, Much Wenlock
• ESA5016 - 1999 WB on water mains work in road around N and W sides of monastic precinct
• ESA7558 - 1962-1963 excavations at Wenlock Priory by Jackson and Fletcher
• ESA10138 - 2022 WB on new signage at Wenlock Abbey by Nigel Baker

Description

CMHTS Comment:- Medieval Priory Precinct. Mapped by Horton and Stamper [<2>]. Cartographic sources and extant walls suggest that the extent was much larger. Contains church and cloisteral range (SA307), a tower (SA322), gatehouse (SA5002), with a holloway leading S from the gatehouse (SA5031), and the large fishpond ('pond dam') (SA4290). Also includes possible mill site (SA4292). Abbey precinct would also include cemetery <1>

Horton & Stamper's article referred to above <2>

An almonry near to priory gatehouse was still standing in 1785 <3>

CMHTS Report <4>

The remains of a church building were found in 1901 east of the surviving crossing. This could date to the foundation of the Cluniac Priory, or it could belong to an earlier, pre-Conquest minster [PRN 05001]. Of the present ruins, the chapter house (1150-80) and lavabo (1180-90) date to the 12th cnetury, the main church to the 13th century, and the Lady Chapel to the first half of the 14th century. The former prior's lodgings, now a private house, have been dated to c1425 by dendrochronology <5>

Photographed during aerial survey in 2008. <6>

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. <7>

Sources

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