Monument record MDO8111 - Wareham Priory, Wareham Town

Possible site of a nunnery founded 672. Re-founded 915 and probably dissolved in 998. A Benedictine alien priory was founded in the early 12th century on the same site, but this was suppressed in 1414 and granted to the Carthusians, and in turn dissolved in 1539. Site now occupied by `The Priory' which may contain priory remains.

The Priory house dating from the 16th century stands on the site of a 12th century Benedictine cell which in turn probably succeeded a Saxon nunnery on the same site. <3>

Saxon nunnery: A nunnery, possibly for Benedictine nuns, and a possible monastery may have been founded here, circa 672. <4>

The Minster church - monasterium of holy virgins is recorded in Asser's account of the Danish raids on the town in 876 AD when the nunnery was presumably dispersed, although the physical survival of the Minster church is generally accepted. Traditionally the nunnery was re-founded in 915 by Elfleda - presumably on the same site, and was evidently still in existence in 982 when the death of Abbess Wulfwyn is recorded (5). Knowles and Hadcock give a tentative date for the dissolution as circa 997-8. By 1086 the monastic property was possessed by St Wandrille Abbey who then held the Minster church. <5>

Benedictine cell: A small priory cell dedicated to St Mary Virgin was founded here for Benedictine monks in the early 12th century and was dependent on the Norman Abbey of Lyre. On the suppression of alien houses in 1414, the cell was bestowed to the Carthusian foundation at Sheen, Surrey (dissolved 1539). <1> <4> <5>

<1> Page, W (Ed), 1908, The Victoria History of the County of Dorset 2, 121-2 (Monograph). SWX1805.

<2> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey 25 inch scale map, 1936 (Map). SDO18020.

The Priory (NAT) St Mary's Priory (NR) (Benedictine) (Remains of)

<3> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments (England), 1970, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume II (South East) Part 3, 317-318 (Monograph). SDO150.

‘(11) HOUSE, Priory of Lady St. Mary, is of two storeys with lower ranges round a courtyard to the N.; the walls are of stone rubble with some rebuilding and additions in brick and the roofs are covered with tiles with stone slates at the verges.
A priory was founded here in the early 12th century as a cell of the Norman Abbey of Lire, perhaps on the site of an early monastery mentioned in A.D. 876; on the suppression of alien houses in 1414 the priory was bestowed on Henry V's new Carthusian foundation at Sheen (V.C.H., Dorset II, 121). The present house dates from the early 16th century; the main E. part of the S. range comprised a single-storey hall with parlour with chamber above to the E.; the service end to the W. was largely rebuilt in the 18th century. Beyond it are the ruined remains of an undercroft perhaps of the early 17th century, and an L-shaped building N. and E. of the courtyard is also of this date but was much altered in the 19th century and later; the longer W. arm is built above an undercroft. In the late 17th century the hall was divided into two storeys and at a later date the N. elevation was remodelled to give a symmetrical front now partly masked by a 19th-century entrance passage. Later in the 18th century a coach house, now incorporated with the drawing room, was built against the S.E. corner of the house and the building N. of the courtyard extended to the W. In the late 19th century a further wing was built N.W. of the service quarters.
The house has been much altered but the main features of the 16th-century layout can still be traced.
Architectural Description—South Elevation. The S. wall of the former hall is of rubble, partly with a battered plinth; the walling has been disturbed where buttresses have been removed. The ground floor has three windows of which the two-light window to the E. is original and formed the lower part of a taller transomed window of which the upper part except for the chamfered E. jamb has been largely destroyed; the chamfered W. jamb of a similar window appears above the westernmost window. The two W. windows date from the late 17th century when a floor was inserted into the hall; one was reduced to two lights and both sills were lowered in the 19th century. The first-floor windows above now have modern casements. To the E. the walling is of rough Purbeck ashlar with a chamfered plinth, perhaps an 18th-century refacing, and none of the openings is original. To the W. the service end has been rebuilt in brick but the stone jambs of the original S. doorway remain with one chamfered jamb of an original window above. The North Elevation has part of the lower storey masked by the later entrance passage; the walling is of rubble with a 17th-century doorway, now internal, reset in the 18th century between two 18th-century windows which are now blocked; the doorway has a moulded four-centred stone head and continuous jambs. The doorway to the kitchen, also now internal, has a timber frame with four-centred head, which has been reset. The small gabled wing N. of the kitchen has in the W. wall a similar but smaller reset timber door-frame. The lower ranges of the building to the N. have been much altered but retain three original 17th-century doorways with moulded four-centred stone heads and continuous jambs; the undercroft of the N. range is lit by small looplights with chamfered jambs and lintels.
The former Hall was divided into two storeys in the late 17th century; it has an 18th-century chimneybreast in the N.W. corner and a staircase of c. 1730 in the N.E.; the original balusters of the staircase have been replaced by modern metalwork. The Drawing Room to the E. has the ceiling divided into panels by moulded intersecting beams; the fireplace has a moulded four-centred stone head with carved spandrels and embattled cresting. The Study in the E. range has a smaller reset fireplace similar to the last but without the cresting. The Undercroft of the N. range has in the N. wall a series of plain stone corbels to carry the beams supporting the original upper floor. The Roofs are of the 18th century and later.
W. of the main part of the house are the remains of an undercroft with the walls standing a few feet high; in the N. wall is a regular series of narrow looplights.
Barn to S.W., probably of 16th-century origin, has been partly rebuilt and the roof renewed.’

<4> Knowles, D and Neville Hadcock, R, 1971, Medieval religious houses in England and Wales, 85, 93, 484 (Monograph). SDO11249.

<5> Penn, K J, 1980, Historic Towns in Dorset, 107-110 (Monograph). SWX1202.

<6> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS52/F44/6 (Index). SDO14738.

BENEDICTINE PRIORY - NUNNERY FOUNDED C.672, WAREHAM. Photographer: UNKNOWN

<7> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS52/F44/7 (Index). SDO14738.

THE PRIOR'S HOUSE - DATING FROM THE 16THC, WAREHAM. Photographer: UNKNOWN

<8> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OS52/F44/8 (Index). SDO14738.

THE PRIOR'S HOUSE - DATING FROM THE 16THC, WAREHAM. Photographer: UNKNOWN

<10> National Record of the Historic Environment, 456709 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Jun 27 2023 2:20PM