Cartmel Priory
Cartmel Priory Church
|
|
 Location within Cumbria
|
|
| Monastery information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Cartmel Priory |
| Other names | St Mary the Virgin & St Michael |
| Order | Augustinian |
| Established | 1190 |
| Disestablished | 1536 |
| Diocese | Carlisle |
| People | |
| Founder(s) | William Marshal, 1st Earl of Pembroke |
| Site | |
| Location |
Cartmel, Cumbria, England |
| Coordinates | 54°12′4″N 2°57′8″W / 54.20111°N 2.95222°WCoordinates: 54°12′4″N 2°57′8″W / 54.20111°N 2.95222°W |
| Visible remains | Church still used as parish church, gatehouse nearby. |
| Public access | Yes |
Cartmel Priory church serves as the parish church of Cartmel, Cumbria (formerly in Lancashire).
The priory was founded in 1190 by William Marshal, created 1st Earl of Pembroke, intended for the Augustinian Canons and dedicated to Saint Mary the Virgin and Saint Michael.
To support the new house, William granted it the whole fief of the district of Cartmel. It was first colonised by a prior and twelve monks from Bradenstoke Priory in Wiltshire. The only other surviving monastic building is the gatehouse which faces the village square.
Between 1327 and 1347 a chapel with four traceried windows was provided by Lord Harrington in the south choir aisle, and in fact his tomb is still in the building. The gatehouse, which apart from the church itself is the only surviving structure of the priory, was built between 1330 and 1340.
In the 15th century extensive work was undertaken, in part due to damage (believed to be from natural causes) in the northern part of the church. In the east end of the church, the early lancet windows were replaced by one huge window of stained glass, misericords were installed in the choir, and the tower was extended. Unusually, the extension to the tower sits at a 45-degree angle to the base on which it sits, a feature believed to be unique in England. Work on the building continued intermittently into the 16th century, when the choir screen was constructed.
The 25 misericords date from 1440, and are of an exceptional quality, they also include a representation of the Green man which may follow the legend of the priory's foundation.
...
Wikipedia