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Witham Priory is a Carthusian monastery founded in Somerset in 1178 by Henry II as an act of penance for the murder of Thomas Becket. The priory was established at Witham, near Frome, and became one of the earliest Carthusian houses in England, introducing the austere contemplative order to the English landscape. The site was substantially destroyed during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the sixteenth century, though fragmentary remains of the monastic structures survive. The priory's historical importance lies in its role as a pioneering Carthusian foundation and its connection to the royal court through Henry II's patronage.
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 Somerset in 1178 by Henry II as an act of 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).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Witham Priory's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Witham Priory stands on Kellaways Formation And Oxford Clay Formation (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Oxfordian. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.