| Summary : A Benedictine monastic grange and earlier, pre-Conquest nunnery situated near the eastern edge of the town of Minster. The nunnery is represented by below ground traces of buildings and associated remains, which will survive beneath the later monastic grange. Minster nunnery was founded in AD 670 by the sisters Domneva and Ermengitha, possibly originally centred on the site now occupied by Minster parish church (TR 36 SW 2) around 150 metres to the south west. Historical records suggest that the religious house was moved in AD 741 when the original site became overcrowded. Viking raids caused much disturbance to this part of Kent from the late eighth century, and the nunnery is reported to have been burnt to the ground in AD 840. In AD 1027 King Canute granted the by then deserted nunnery to the Benedictine Monks of St Augustine's Abbey, Canterbury and they constructed a monastic grange. The grange survives in the form of standing buildings, water-filled fishponds and below ground remains. The standing buildings are Listed Grade I and incorporate the northern hall range and attached western range, along with the ruined fragment of a square tower which adjoins the southern end of the western range. Faced with rubble ragstone and flint with ashlar dressings, the buildings have been dated by their architectural details to the 11th and 12th centuries. A large-scale programme of alteration was carried out in 1413, and the buildings underwent subsequent phases of alteration during the 17th, 19th and 20th centuries. The standing medieval buildings have been in use as a modern Benedictine nunnery since 1937. Investigations carried out in 1929-30 revealed the foundations of a demolished Norman church which formed the southern range of the main courtyard. The monastic grange had been leased as a secular farmhouse by the time of the Dissolution, and was used for this purpose throughout the post-medieval period. Scheduled. |
More information : [TR 31206435] The Abbey [NR] (1)
Minster Court, now called Minster Abbey, dates from the 12th century [see plan -AO/LP/62/121] having become a grange of St Augustine's Abbey, Canterbury, after 1027, following the desecration of a nunnery (founded in 7th century) after 1011. The grange chapel, probably demolished at or soon after the suppression was excavated in 1929-30. (2,3)
The ancient tithe barn formerly 352 feet long, and 47 feet wide, was partly destroyed by fire in 1700. (4)
Minster Abbey, Priory of Benedictine Nuns (since 1937), (a) is as described above and in excellent condition. There are no visible remains of the chapel but its site beneath the lawn at TR 3121 6433 is marked by flowerbeds. To the NE of the principal buildings is a large modern barn, at TR 31246440, which incorporates the buttressed lower courses of stonework of the S end of the original C15th tithe barn. At TR 31266453, TR31286447 and TR 31296442 are three rectangular fishponds, waterfilled and in good conditon and fed by a stream issuing from a spring to the N. Published 1/2500 survey correct. (5)
Minster Abbey, Bedlam Court Lane (W side), Minster. Grade I. Monastic grange, now abbey, 11th and 12th century, altered circa 1413. Rubble, flint and dressed stone details. Plain tiled roof. Originally built around 3 sides of a courtyard, a chapel on the S side, domestic and office ranges on the W and N sides. Entrance Front: the N front of the N wing 12th century in origin. Two storeys on irregular plinth with string course and boxed eaves to hipped roof with stone stack at end left, and brick stacks to left and to right. Left end bay projects, with 2 tier 15th century cinquefoiled window. The left end of the main range was probably rebuilt at the same time, a 15th century window interrrupting the string course at this point. Two 12th century windows on first floor, and 1 blocked to right. Three 17th century segmental headed 3 light mullioned and transomed wooden casements on first floor, and irregular fenestration on ground floor of 20th century trecusped 2 light window and 17th century segmental headed mullioned and transomed windows. 15th century door to centre right, 3 panelled door in four centred arched doorway, chamfered with moulded surround, with arms of Thomas Hunden in spandrels, Abbot of At Augustine's, Canterbury, 1405-1420. The door interrupts earlier pilaster strips. Derelict and partly ruinous 19th century extension and wall to left of flint. Double projecting block with large cart doors to right, with round headed window over, and boarded door and sidelight to left with pointed arched heads. Wall about 8 feet high extending about 20 yards. Left return: 12th century round-arched shafted window in upper wall above 19th century extension. Right return: the rear of the late 11th century west range, the main feature a central gabled 3 storey projection. Originally 2 storeyed and battlemented. Seven 20th century gabled dormers and 4 15th century 2 tier trecusped and cinquecusped windows.
Rear elevation: to the inner courtyard. Main range with ground floor of greater thickness, defined by string course, the upper course with much finer masonry work. Pilaster strips. Two 12th century windows on first floor to left, and 1 blocked to right. Three 2 tier cinquefoiled windows with double quatrefoiled mid-panels, all heavily restored, recessed in lower floor. Chamfered doorway and panelled door to left.
West range 2 storeys with single dormer and central stack. Three 15th century windows on first floor separated by small slit windows with blocked 12th century light to right, and 2 15th century windows on ground floor, with round arched doorway with small sidelight, the semi-circular head made from a single block. The fabric shows much alteration. The door and sidelight are set within a small area rebuilt in ashlar. Lower ground floor otherwise shows masonry set herringbone fashion, with levelling courses of flint, also carried across onto the tower to left.
Originally west tower of chapel (demolished), only the north wall adjacent with west range remains. Now 2 storeys, with shafted recess with pierced light on first floor to E and similar arcading to NW corner. Remains of arcading on eastern ground floor, and sculpture of Christ in Mandorla on W ground floor probably 19th century reconstructions (For full description see list). (6)
Minster Abbey. An abbey since the 1930's, inhabited by Benedictine nuns. The Norman buildings which they occupy were never monastic until the 20th century. They belonged to an abbey however, St Augustine's Canterbury, for they were the grange. The whole group, built round three sides of a square is open to the E. The church on the S side, demolished but known by excavation, dates from before the mid 12th century. It was very rare for a grange to have its own church and this rather than the present parish church (TR 36 SW 2) may be on the site of Mildred's Minster. (Full architectural description follows). (7)
History of Minster Abbey (8,9)
Architecture of Minster Abbey. (10-12)
Additional bibliography (not consulted). (13-15)
TR 31216433 Chapel excavated in 1929-30 by K.P. Kipps.(16)
TR 313644 Abbey of Benedictine nuns. The ruins of the Saxon abbey burnt down by Danes in AD 751 and its medieval restoration. In current use as a nunnery. (17)
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