See important guidance on the use of this record.

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

Summary

Site of a chapel shown on first edition Ordnance Survey Map.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1008673: Cornworthy Priory

Other References/Statuses

• National Monuments Record: 446002
• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX85NW/10/3
• Old SAM County Ref: 409
• Old SAM Ref: 24839
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SX85NW28

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• CHAPEL (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1880-1899, First Edition Ordnance 25 inch map (Cartographic). SDV336179.

'Chapel (Remains of)' shown on 19th century map as a narrow L-shaped building with a small rectangular building adjoining to the north-west on the east side of the road.

Ministry of Works, 1958, Cornworthy Priory Gatehouse (Schedule Document). SDV346590.

Other details: Monument 409.

Weddell, P. J., 1986, Cornworthy Priory, 8-10 (Report - Survey). SDV347678.

The church and other claustral buildings were suggested by Watkin and Windeatt in their article in Devon and Cornwall Notes and Queries in 1920 to have been about 38 metres to the south-east of the gatehouse. Their evidence appears to have been based on the walls of some farm buildings that lay in this area close to the road. Dean Milles circa 1770 mentions a barn which 'bears some marks of antiquity' and was supposed to be a chapel. The 1844 Tithe Map shows a barn and yard in this location. The arrangement of the buildings may have encourged Watking an Windeatt to think that they were looking at buildings around a cloister. The site of the chapel was perpetuated by the Ordnance Survey; it was marked on the early maps although not on the 1964 edition. Today some masonry is visible on the west side adjacent to the road. The yard is now the site of a well-established pond. Weddell finds the interpretation of this site as the claustral buildings difficult to fully accept; little is known of their antiquity of the buildings, they are not on an east-west alignment and furthermore they are alongside the road which would have been an unusual location. Nevertheless, there may well have been priory buildings in this location which were modified or rebuilt. The association of the barn with a chapel suggest that there was some reason for thinking that it was old or ecclesiastical in origin. It is possible that they were part of an outer court.

Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England, 1992, Cornworthy Priory (Report - Survey). SDV346583.

A length of coursed slate wall, 26 metres long, 0.7 metres high and in places over 3 metres high, lies 50 metres to south-east of the gatehouse at Cornworthy Priory. It now forms a revetment wall to the modern road on its south-west side, so only its north-east face is visible. It returns north-eastwards at its north-west end for 4 metres before being lost in later disturbance, then becomes visible again for a short length to the north-east. The main length of walling has the remains of an arched opening, 2.4 metres wide - probably a doorway - at its north-west end. From the angle of the wall, a 4 metre length of coursed slate walling is visible in the hedgebank running north-west. This represents the fragmentary lower courses of the precinct wall. The walling represents the remains of a building complex described in 1755 as "an old house the barn to which is supposed to have been a chapel" shown on 1844 Tithe Map as a near-square walled yard with a range of buildings on the south-east side and a small building in the north-east corner. Excavations in the 1920's revealed a building in the north-east corner alleged to be the monastic church. An irregular platform, 30 metres by 13 metres at SX82255558 may be associated with this complex. Within the past few years the yard area was bulldozed to create a pond, which has destroyed the main area of the former complex and removed the north-east ans south-east sides.

Gibbons, P., 1994, Cornworthy Priory (Un-published). SDV346295.

Area of ruined farm buildings with two sections of walling. One now completely obscured by vegetation and not located. The other, visible in field boundary on north-west side of regenerating area, 7 metres long, 1.3 metres high. Unclear whether or not Medieval. Near these ruins is a natural spring which appears to have been the priory's water supply. Waktin and Windeatt considered these buildings to have been remains of the cloistral range. It is probable that monastic buildings (eg a barn) exist in this location. The most obvious site for the cloister is the more level ground to the east of the gateway.

Department of National Heritage, 1994, Cornworthy Priory (Schedule Document). SDV346591.

Cornworthy Priory is located at the western end of the village of Cornworthy, at the head of a small valley to the south of Bow Creek, an inlet on the west side of the Dart estuary. The monument includes the upstanding and buried remains of an Augustinian nunnery in occupation from the early 13th century until 1536. The visible remains exist in the form of ruined stone structures together with a series of low earthworks. The only substantial section of precinct wall has been recently revealed to the south-east of the gatehouse in the area of some ruined farm buildings which have been cleared of plant growth. The wall survives to some 15 metres in length and is 3.9 metres high at its eastern end. It is stepped down at its western end, and acts as a partial retaining wall to the land to the south. Two rows of putlog (scaffolding) holes are visible, and it retains a string course below a coping of semicircular stones set on edge. Both ends of the wall have been cut by later structures: by a two storied barn to the east, and to the west by an archway leading to the road. To the west of the archway the wall continues for 2.1 metres, and has then been set back into the hedge. From this point the alignment of the precinct wall is visible as an earthwork extending towards the gatehouse which has a wall-scar on its south-west corner, 3.6 metres in height. Other details: Monument 24839.

Matthews, A. J., 1995, Survey of Cornworthy Priory Gatehouse (Report - Survey). SDV346594.

National Monuments Record, 2011, 446002 (National Monuments Record Database). SDV346598.

Remains of the alleged west wall of the priory church.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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