Bradbourne Priory

Bradbourne Priory

All Saints Parish Church, Bradbourne
Location within Derbyshire
Monastery information
Other names	Later, All Saints Parish Church
Order	Presumed Augustinian
Mother house	Dunstable Priory
Diocese	Diocese of Lichfield
Controlled churches	Tissington, Brassington and Ballidon
People
Founder(s)	Unknown
Site
Location	Bradbourne, Derbyshire, England, United Kingdom.
Coordinates	53°4′17″N 1°41′27″W / 53.07139°N 1.69083°W / 53.07139; -1.69083Coordinates: 53°4′17″N 1°41′27″W / 53.07139°N 1.69083°W / 53.07139; -1.69083
Visible remains	Part of present Parish Church

Bradbourne Priory was a priory in Bradbourne, Derbyshire, England.

The Priory at Bradbourne consisted of the main priory church and community at Bradbourne, and three chapelries at Tissington, Brassington and Ballidon.

The priory church at Bradbourne exists today as All Saints Parish Church, which is currently Grade I Listed.

There has been a church on the site since Saxon times; The present churchyard is home to the Bradbourne Cross, an 8th-century depiction of the crucifixion, which was at some-point smashed but has now been partially reconstructed.

A church is listed as being on the site in the Domesday book of 1086, but a new church appears to have been constructed at the beginning of the 12th century. This Norman church is deemed to have been of "considerable size" as the tower was larger and taller than those normally expected at the time. No part of the church listed in the Domesday book is thought to still exist; however, of the Norman church, both the tower and the south porch remain mostly unaltered. Architectural remains suggest the church would have been partially rebuilt or altered at the beginning of the 13th century. The chancel is thought to be slight later; the design of the east window suggesting it was constructed circa 1320. The church, which is dedicated to All Saints, consists of nave, with south aisle and porch, chancel and tower at the west end.

Adjacent to the church sits Bradbourne Hall, which is believed to be built upon the foundations of the previous priory buildings or rectory.

The site has been of religious significance since at least Saxon times. New churches are known to have been built before the Domesday book of 1086, again at the beginning of the 12th century, and then large-scale reconstruction work at the beginning of the 13th century. The status of these early churches—whether they served as priories or as parish churches—is not known.

In 1205, Sir Geoffrey de Cauceis sold the Manor of Bradbourne to Godard de Bradbourn; he, however, did not allow the church to go with the manor house, gifting the advowson of Bradbourne Priory (along with all of its lands and chapels) to Dunstable Priory in Bedfordshire; Bradbourne would then act as a "cell" to Dunstable. The priory's income provided finance for three canons.