Scheduled MonumentsEnglandPrittlewell Priory

Prittlewell Priory

England
List entry 1018452
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1018452
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
6 hectares
Grid reference
TQ 87722 87299
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

Prittlewell Priory is a Cluniac priory founded in the twelfth century in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, originally established as a dependent house of the Norman priory at Much Dunmow. The surviving structures, which include the prior's lodge and other domestic ranges, represent substantial remains of the monastic complex and demonstrate the architectural character typical of lesser Cluniac houses of the medieval period. The priory was dissolved during the Reformation in the sixteenth century, after which the buildings passed into secular use and were substantially modified. The site remains an important archaeological monument and testament to the religious and economic life of Essex during the medieval period, with its standing structures offering valuable evidence of the layout and construction of a significant monastic establishment.

Prittlewell Priory is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1018452. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Prittlewell Priory?

Prittlewell Priory is a Cluniac priory founded in the twelfth century in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, originally established as a dependent house of the Norman priory at Much Dunmow. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1018452.

Who is responsible for protecting Prittlewell Priory?

Prittlewell Priory is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1018452.

What other scheduled monuments are near Prittlewell Priory?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including A slight univallate hillfort known as Prittlewell Camp, 500m east of Sutton Road crematorium (1.4 km), Southchurch Hall moated site (2.4 km), Heavy Anti-aircraft gunsite, 380m south east of Butler's Gate (2.7 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Prittlewell Priory

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Prittlewell Priory's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Prittlewell Priory

Prittlewell Priory stands on Thames Group, bedrock that formed in the Eocene. The rock here is clay, silt, sand and gravel.