Mottisfont Abbey
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| Monastery information | |
|---|---|
| Order | Augustinian |
| Established | 1201 |
| Disestablished | 22 May 1536 |
| Dedicated to | The Priory Church of the Holy Trinity, Mottisfont |
| People | |
| Founder(s) | William Briwere |
| Site | |
| Location | Mottisfont, Hampshire, England |
| Grid reference | SU327270 |
| Visible remains | parts of church, chapter house and cellarium incorporated into 18th-century mansion |
| Public access | yes (National Trust) |
Mottisfont Abbey is a historical priory and country estate in Hampshire, England. Sheltered in the valley of the River Test, the property is now operated by the National Trust. About 200,000 people visit each year. The site includes the historic house museum, regular changing art exhibitions, gardens (including a walled rose garden) and a river walk.
Fertile land and a plentiful water supply attracted the first settlers. The site's name comes from a spring ("font") that is still producing water in the grounds. It was the font around which the local community held its moots or meetings. An Augustinian priory was founded here in 1201 by William Briwere, a businessman, administrator and courtier to four Plantagenet kings who chose to make a public demonstration of his wealth and piety. The canons welcomed pilgrims en route to Winchester, who came to worship Mottisfont's relic, said to be the finger of St John the Baptist. (The word "Abbey" was added to the name "Mottisfont" by a future owner, several centuries later, but is a misnomer. The National Trust speculate that the name was considered more romantic than the historically-correct "Priory".)
Struck by the Black Death, the initially prosperous priory suffered from the mid-14th century onwards. During the Dissolution of the Monasteries under King Henry VIII, the priory was dissolved and the king gave Mottisfont to a favoured statesman, Sir William Sandys, who turned it into a country home, but rather unusually, chose not to demolish the existing priory. Sandys instead turned the church nave into the main body of the new mansion, building additional wings on either side. Sections of the original medieval church may still be seen, with the later additions built around them. The 13th-century also remains present today.
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