Birkenhead Priory facts for kids
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Birkenhead Priory is a very old and important place in Birkenhead, Merseyside, England. It is the oldest building still standing in Merseyside! This special site includes the old parts of the priory, the priory's chapter house, and what's left of St Mary's church. All these parts are protected as important historical buildings in England.
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History of Birkenhead Priory
The priory was started around 1150 by a person named Hamon de Masci. He founded it for a group of monks called the Benedictine Order. These monks lived, worked, and prayed together. The priory was very important because it was close to the Irish Sea and the border with Wales. Even King Edward I visited it twice!
In 1318, the monks from Birkenhead Priory were given special permission by King Edward II to run a ferry service. This allowed them to build a house near the River Mersey. They used this house to store their corn. It also gave shelter to travelers if the weather was too bad for the ferry to cross the river.
The ancient parts of the priory are listed as a Grade I building. This means they are considered very important historically. It is also a Scheduled Ancient Monument, which gives it extra protection.
The Priory's Chapter House
The priory's chapter house was built in the late 1100s. It was fixed up a lot in the early 1900s. After a big change in religion called the Reformation, it became a chapel. It is still an Anglican church today and is used for services. This building is listed as Grade II*, meaning it's also very important. It has parts of Norman architecture, which is a style from the time of the Normans. The chapter house was restored again in 2005. The top floor of the chapter house is called the Scriptorium. It has a chapel dedicated to a training ship called HMS Conway.
St Mary's Tower
St Mary's Tower was once part of Birkenhead's first parish church. This church opened in 1821 and was built on the priory grounds. The tower is listed as a Grade II building.
Inside the ground floor of the Frater House, there is a museum. It tells the story of the priory and its long history.
Changes in the 1900s
Starting in 1925, the area around the priory changed a lot. Many homes were removed to make way for the Queensway Tunnel. This tunnel goes under the Mersey River. Later, in the 1960s, a large dry dock at the nearby Cammell Laird shipyard was made bigger. This meant the church lost a lot of its graveyard.
More roads were built for the Mersey Tunnel, which cut off the church from most of its parish. This made it harder for people to attend services. Because of this, St. Mary's Church closed in 1974. A year later, parts of it were taken down for safety reasons. Only the old church tower and some outer walls remain today. The tower has been fixed up and is now dedicated to those who died in HMS Thetis.
The churchyard also has the burial vault of the Laird family. This includes John Laird (1805–74). He was Birkenhead's first Member of Parliament and helped start the Cammell Laird shipbuilding company next door.
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See also
- Grade I listed buildings in Merseyside
- Listed buildings in Birkenhead
