All Saints Weybourne (Weybourne Priory)

On my travels around Norfolk I came across this site while using the North Norfolk coastal road. The signs on the gates that lead to this church give it the name of God's acre. As I walked through the graveyard I loved the peace and tranquility it provided even though its close proximity to the coastal road.

The church notice board gives the name of this Church as All Saints, Weybourne however this site has been more than just a parish church. A church has been on this site since Saxon times, where evidence of a Saxon cruciform church can be found in the north of the chancel, in the form of a tower. Other features can be found in arcade between the current nave and the north aisle as it occupies the site of the Saxon church.

The priory was formed between the end of the 12th century and the beginning of the 13th century by Sir Ralph Mainwaring as a house of Augustinian canons. The priory was a subordinate to the priory of West Acre. It was dissolved in 1314.

The remains of the priory include large sections of wall such as that of the north wall of the choir, walls of the presbytery. A section of the north transept can be seen, some of the north range is still visable along with walls of the cloisters.

Thetford Priory

An impressiveset of remains of a Cluniac monastic house. It is a highly important monastary in East Anglia having been founded by Roger Bigod, the first Earl of Norfolk in 1103.

Thetford Priory is dedicated to the Virgin Mary or Our Lady as she is said to have appeared to local residents. The priory became a magnet to pilgrims due to a statue of Our Lady of Thetford having a hollow in the head to house saints' relics.

Like many other monasteries Thetford Priory seccumbed to the eventual closure caused by the dissolution of the Monasteries. Even though the Monastery housed many tombs from the early Tudor dynasty officials including several members of the Howard family including that of Henry FitzRoy (1st Duke of Richmond and Somerset) 

Having visited this site on a sunny day, it was lovely to leisurly walk around the ruins investigating. The overall size of the complex would suggest that it was a very rich and powerful monastic house at the height of its use. The lower walls of the church and cloister can be seen along with an extensive and impressive shell of the Prior's lodging. Unfortunately during my visit I was not able to get through to the reportedly almost complete 14th century gatehouse as the pathway appears to run through a private garden. However I plan to return to see if I can approach the gatehouse from the otherside during a visit to the Holy Sepulchre Church which is about 300 metres away to the south.

It is reported that the Priory at Thetford is haunted however I had no such feeling during my visit.

Today the site is open to the public and is under the care of English Heritage. 

 

Leiston Abbey

Leiston Abbey originally started life as St Mary's Abbey at Minsmere in Suffolk. It was founded by Ranulf de Glanville in 1182 however due to unhealthy and undesriable site conditions due to being built on swampy groung the abbey moved from Minsmere to its present location in 1363. Very little is left at the original location due to it being dismantled for building materials to build the new abbey at Leitson, however sections of the proiry chapel can still be seen at Minsmere.

Leitson Abbey was home to a group of Augustinian Canons Regular following the premonstratensian rule. They held many duties including preaching and pastoral work unlike monks.

 Like so many other abbeys, priories and monasteries, Leiston Abbey fell victim to the dissolution of the monasteries, after which is fell into ruin and become a farm with the farm house being built into the ruins of the abbey. Today the site is under the guardianship of English Heritage.

Lady Eleanor Talbot (Lady Butler)

At the same site of Whitefriars Monastry in Norwich I found a plaque on the wall informing me that this is the final resting place to Lady Eleanor Talbot. I had never heard of her until this point and therefore had to do some research before I could post the photo on here.

Well, what a story I have come across with this one.

Lady Talbot was born in 1436, daughter of John Talbot the 1st Earl of Shrewsbury. In 1449, aged just 13, Lady Eleanor married Sir Thomas Butler, however in March of 1461 Thomas Butler died.

It is also commented that she had friendships with Edward IV. I discovered that he had siezed ownership of two manors she had owned with her husband. When she requested ownership of the manors back he attempted to have personal relations with Lady Eleanor, however she refused. At this he promised he would marry her.

In June of 1468 Lady Eleanor died at the age of 32 in a convent. She was later buried in the Carmelite Priory Church in Norwich.

Anchorite House or Whitefriars Monastry

Just round the corner from the plaque to Lord Sheffield there are the remains of Anchorite House. Anchorite House was part of the Whitefriars Monastry founded on the site in 1256 by Philip de Cougate. There is very little information relating to this Monastry to be found.