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Witham Priory is a Carthusian monastery founded in the 12th century in Somerset, England, established by Henry II around 1175 as part of his penance for the murder of Thomas Becket. The priory was built to house monks of the strict Carthusian order, who followed a rule of silence and solitary contemplation within their individual cells arranged around a cloister. The site retains fragmentary remains of the monastic buildings, including sections of stone walls and foundations that indicate the layout typical of a Carthusian community, with the characteristic large cloister and separate cell blocks. Witham Priory remained in use until its dissolution in the 1530s under Henry VIII, after which the buildings gradually fell into ruin, though the site has been intermittently excavated and studied for archaeological evidence of its monastic occupation.
Witham Priory is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1006161. View the official record →
Witham Priory is a Carthusian monastery founded in the 12th century in Somerset, England, established by Henry II around 1175 as part of his penance for the murder of Thomas Becket. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1006161.
Witham 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 1006161.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Bristol High Cross (7.9 km), Kenwalch's Castle: a large univallate hillfort on Pen Hill (8.2 km), Bowl barrow 1050m north east of Wood Farm (8.8 km).
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