These photos (taken by Mike) are of Prittlewell Priory which is not too far from us.
It was established in the year 1110 as a Cluniac Priory dedicated to St. Mary. It thrived until 1536 when King Henry V111 ordered the dissolutions of the monasteries.
In the top right hand picture you will see that two of the windows are boarded up. They fell victim to vandalism which is a sad reflection of our times.
In the large picture you can see what is left of the foundations of the rest of the buildings as, sadly, now only the refectory remains:-
The refectory is a beautiful room and it makes one wonder what the original Priory must have been like. The Priory is now open as a museum and is, at the moment, undergoing renovation.
The bottom pictures (top of page) show the beautiful walled gardens. The gardens are extensive and are now a public park but the walled garden is a magical place where you can sit in total tranquility and watch the wildlife, the fish in the ornamental pond and, in the summer, see a stunning display of flowers.
The Priory is reputed to be haunted by a monk or monks but on our several visits there, we have never seen or experienced anything.
Prittlewell is full of history and was the scene of a well known local murder in, I believe, 1894. I shall probably put the details in another posting if anyone would be interested to read about it.
The Sri Lanka blog has now been updated and can be read at:-
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SHERRY
(Girl to God - link is under other journals)
11 comments:
Beautiful photos...well done Mike ! I love the thought of haunted buildings Sandra x
What a beautiful place, You are so blessed to live near so many historical places. The Refectory room is beautiful, a very magical place. I would love to sit in the garden you described and meditate. Beautiful entry Jeannette and thank you for the birthday wishes. God Bless You My Friend!!!
They're beautiful Jeannette. So well maintained and yet you say it's under renovation, I hope they keep it's charm. xxR
I love your historical entries. Thanks to the link to the Sri Lanka blog.
So awesome! JAE
I love reading these historical entries Jeannette, so interesting. And yes, I would like to hear about that murder - that sounds terrible doesn't it, but you know what I mean!!
Sara x
Beautiful. Reading your journal is like taking a historical journey. Thank you. Pennie
Wow, what rich history you have around your home! I would love to hear about the murder of 1894! These pictures make me want to go visit! They are wonderful! God bless you, my dear! xox
What a lovely looking place - it's such a shame that vandals have to be so disrespectful isn't it?
Its a real pleasure reading your journal.Looks a beautiful place.
Such a pretty place...I would hate to think it sat unused since 1536. Once the monks were cleared out, any idea what other uses the place had?
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