Edington Priory

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Edyndon

In the civil parish of Edington.
In the historic county of Wiltshire (Modern Authority of Wiltshire, 1974 county of Wiltshire).

Founded in 1351 by William of Edington, Bishop of Winchester, as a collegiate chantry. It was converted into a Bonhommes monastery in 1358 by the founder. It was badly damaged in Jack Cade's rebellion of 1450, when the Bishop of Winchester was dragged from the church and murdered. It surrendered in 1539, and most of the buildings were destroyed by 1579. Several features are still visible, these including fishponds, fragments surviving in the Priory, monastic gardens, the Conduit House, and the church. Issued a pardon for crenellating without licence in 1360. Does not appear to have been a residential manor of the bishop of Salisbury as implied by Thompson.

This site has been described as a;
Fortified Ecclesiastical site.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Possible.
Masonry ruins/remnants remains.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.
This site is a Grade 1 listed building protected by law*. (Images of England number 313797, 313780, 313796)

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is ST92605335

PastScape number; 211929

Books

Thompson, M.W., 1998, Medieval bishops' houses in England and Wales (Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing) p167, 184
Knowles, David and Hadcock, R. Neville, 1971, Medieval religious houses in England and Wales (Longmans) p203
Pugh, R.B. and Crittall, Elizabeth (eds), 1956, 'House of Bonhommes: Edington' VCH Wiltshire Vol3 p320-24 http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=36545
Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p416

Journal Articles

Coulson, C., 1982, 'Hierarchism in Conventual Crenellation: An Essay in the Sociology and Metaphysics of Medieval Fortification' Medieval Archaeology Vol26 p69-100
Brakspear, H., 1935-7, Wiltshire archaeological and natural history magazine Vol47 p7-19
Jackson, S.E., 1881-2, Wiltshire archaeological and natural history magazine Vol20 p241-306

Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)

Calendar of Patent Rolls (1358-61) p290, 297-8

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The information on this web page may be derived from information compiled by and/or copyright of English Heritage and other individuals and organisations.

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*The listed building may not be the actual medieval building, but a building on the site of, or incorporating fragments of, the described site.

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Edington Priory

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is ST92605335

Sources of information, references and further reading