Monument record MDO5507 - Benedictine abbey of St Mary the Virgin and St Bartholomew, Cranborne

The Chronicle of Tewkesbury records that a Benedictine abbey of St Mary the Virgin and St Bartholomew was founded at Cranborne around AD 980 by Aylward Sneaw. Tradition has it that there was an earlier monastery on the site. In AD 1102 the community moved to Tewkesbury, formerly its dependency, to which Cranborne became a cell for a prior and two monks. It is thought that the present parish church is on the site of the abbey church.

The Benedictine abbey of St. Mary the Virgin and St. Bartholomew was founded by Haylward Snew circa 980 AD, according to the chronical of Tewkesbury, but there is a tradition of a much earlier monastery. In 1102 the community moved to Tewkesbury, formerly its dependency, to which Cranborne became a cell for a prior and two monks. It was dissolved in 1540.

The present parish church (SO 01 SE43) is believed to be on the site of the abbey church, and two early 17th century plans show the priory buildings some 50 yards south of the church. They were demolished in 1703. A fragment of pre-Conquest carved stone, preserved in the Manor House, was found in 1935 in the Manor House fishpond at the end of the garden (probably at SU 05351330). Kendrick dates it to the 9th century and suggests it may have been part of the base of a free-standing cross from the priory church. <1, 3-5>

Cranbourne was a minster, according to the Chronicle of Tewkesbury, founded by Aylward Sneaw on his Cranbourne demesne. It had 5 dependent churches. (6)
[Note: There is no Source (6) on the NRHE-to-Her database – the numbering goes 1-5, 7].

Full description of the Early Mediaeval cross base or pillar base. A four-legged beast is framed in a pane, but the animal does not bear resemblance to any of the evangelist symbol, bestiary or even zodiac types, and so has no obvious religious significance. It remains a tantalising piece from an important minster site. <6>

<1> Royal Archaeological Institute, 1947, The Archaeological Journal 104, 162 (Serial). SDO18401.

<2> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1963 (Map). SWX1540.

(SU 05461320) Abbey (NR) (site of) (NAT)

<3> Knowles, D and Neville Hadcock, R, 1971, Medieval religious houses in England and Wales, 53, 63, 471 (Monograph). SDO11249.

<4> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1975, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume V (East), 5 (Monograph). SDO129.

<5> Hall, T A, 2000, Minster Churches in the Dorset Landscape, 95 (Monograph). SDO10264.

<6> Cramp, R, 2006, Corpus of Anglo-Saxon Stone Sculpture: Vol VII. South-West England, 100-101 (Monograph). SDO17427.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 213656 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jul 30 2024 2:58PM