Chibburn Preceptory facts for kids
Chibburn Preceptory, also known as Low Chibburn Preceptory, is a set of old ruins in Northumberland, England. It's near a place called Widdrington. This site was once a special headquarters for a group of medieval knights called the Knights Hospitaller. A "preceptory" was like a local office or base for these knights.
The first records of Chibburn Preceptory date back to 1313. It was closed down in 1540. At that time, all its land was given to the King. Later, the land went to the Widdrington family. Over the years, Low Chibburn was used for different things. It was a hospital and even a home for a noble widow (called a dowager house). Sadly, French invaders destroyed it in 1691. Today, the buildings have been repaired by Northumberland County Council. The site is now a Scheduled Ancient Monument, which means it's protected by law.
What Chibburn Preceptory Looked Like
The preceptory buildings had a main house, a chapel, and other rooms. These buildings were built around a small, central courtyard. Today, only parts of the chapel's walls are still standing. These include the east, south, and some of the north walls.
The main house you see now was built after the preceptory was closed. This happened during a time known as the Dissolution of the Monasteries. It was probably built by Sir John Widdrington. He was given the land of Chibburn in 1553.
Defenses and Later Uses
The preceptory was protected by a moat. A moat is a wide ditch, usually filled with water, that goes around a castle or building. This moat at Chibburn was about 100 meters wide. You can still see parts of the moat today. There might have also been a pond nearby. However, some parts of these water features were filled in later. They were also damaged by open cast mining in 1957.
The old chapel building was even used during the Second World War. It became a "pillbox," which is a small, strong concrete shelter used for defense.
