Monument record MDO6041 - Priory or cell, Shapwick

According to the antiquarian John Hutchins there was a priory at Shapwick which was taken over by the Carthusian monastery of Sheen after 1414. There is no confirmatory evidence from Sheen's records, and if it existed, its status is uncertain. Sheen certainly owned land in Shapwick.

At Shapwick there 'was a small priory, or cell, belonging to the house of Jesus, or Priory of Shene in Surrey of the Carthusian order, founded by King Henry V 1414; and perhaps long before a cell to some foreign monastery ....' <1>

The field within which this site falls was investigated after it had been ploughed. No traces of any occupation were found. Similarly, nothing is visible on air photograph (RAF CPE/UK/1893 4092 12.12.46). <3>

Hutchins suggests that there was a small alien priory or cell at Shapwick which later belonged to Sheen Priory. Sheen had land here at the suppression, but no record of a cell has been found. <4>

The south chapel in St Bartholomew’s Church, Shapwick is said to be the priory chapel, although examination after ploughing has revealed no evidence of occupation debris. A possible location may be closer to the parish church near Crab Cottage. <5>

<1> Shipp, W (ed), 1868, The History and Antiquities of the County of Dorset. 3rd edition. Volume 3, 166-7 (Monograph). SWX3207.

<2> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Map 6in, 1929 (Map). SWX1540.

(ST 94100152) Priory (NR) (Site of) (NAT)

<3> Quinnell, N V, Various, Field Investigators Comments NVQ, F1 NVQ 17-MAR-54 (Unpublished document). SDO11903.

<4> Knowles, D and Neville Hadcock, R, 1971, Medieval religious houses in England and Wales, 462 (Monograph). SDO11249.

<5> Papworth, M, 1994, Shapwick Parish, Kingston Lacy Estate, Wessex Region (Unpublished document). SDO14228.

At Shapwick there “was a small priory, or cell, belonging to the house of Jesus, or Priory of Shene in Surrey of the Carthusian order, founded by Henry V in 1414; and perhaps long before a cell to some foreign monastery (Hutchins 1868, 166) Hutchins records various 15th and 16th century documents relating to the lease and transfer of priory lands in Shapwick. The south chapel in St Bartholomew’s Church, Shapwick is said to be the priory chapel and the church guide (Waterfield, 1970s) notes that at the dissolution in 1536 the priory land and house were given to the Hussey family of Shapwick Champayne who converted the chapel into the family mortuary chapel but disposed of the land. An information board in the church records that a prior and six brethren were expelled in 1536. In 1757 William Fry sold the priory land to John Bankes and it became part of Kingston Lacy Estate. The 1887 Ordnance Survey map shows the site of the priory buildings at ST94100152 although examination of this field after ploughing reveals no occupation debris and no buildings are shown here on the 1773 map (DRO). However this field is called priory close in 1773 and this land with two houses and several other small fields were let to Mr Benjamin Harding as part of a tenancy called the Priory. A possible location may be closer to the parish church near Crab Cottage (110,066) this and other buildings in the vicinity have reused heathstone in their construction which may be derived from the priory buildings.

<6> National Record of the Historic Environment, 209630 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Aug 1 2023 4:12PM