Cluniac priories in Britain facts for kids
During the Middle Ages, starting in the 11th century, a special group of monks called the Cluniac order built many religious houses, known as monasteries or priories, in England and Scotland. These places were like homes for monks and nuns who wanted to live a religious life.
Contents
History of the Cluniac Order
Monasteries traditionally followed rules that said each one should be independent. This made it hard to make changes if things weren't going well. It also made it difficult to stop powerful local lords from taking control of the monasteries.
The Cluniac order tried a new way to solve these problems. They made all their monasteries part of one big family, with Cluny Abbey in France as the main center. This meant that all the monks in these smaller houses were actually members of Cluny Abbey. The smaller houses were called priories, showing they were connected to the main Abbey.
The head of the Cluniac order was the Abbot of Cluny in France. This meant that monks from Britain often had to travel to France to meet with him. The Abbot himself visited Britain only a few times over many centuries.
In 1056, the first Cluniac nunnery (a monastery for nuns) was started in France. After this, other convents for nuns were built, including some in Britain. However, there were always many more Cluniac monks than nuns.
By the 16th century, when King Henry VIII closed down many monasteries in England, there were 35 Cluniac houses there. There were also three Cluniac houses in Scotland.
Cluniac Priories in Britain
Most Cluniac houses in Britain were called priories. This showed they were smaller branches of the main Cluny Abbey in France. However, a few larger ones, like Faversham Abbey and Reading Abbey, were more independent.
Priories in England
- Arthington Priory, Yorkshire (for nuns)
- Barnstaple Priory, Devon
- Bermondsey Abbey
- Castle Acre Priory, Norfolk
- Daventry Priory, Northamptonshire
- Delapré Abbey, Northampton (for nuns)
- Derby Cluniac Priory, Derby
- Dudley Priory, Dudley, West Midlands
- Faversham Abbey, Kent – an independent Cluniac Abbey
- Glastonbury Abbey, Somerset – was an independent Cluniac Abbey for a time
- Lenton Priory, Nottingham
- Monkton Farleigh Priory, Wiltshire
- Montacute Priory, Somerset
- Pontefract Priory, Yorkshire
- Prittlewell Priory, Essex
- Reading Abbey, Berkshire – an independent Cluniac Abbey
- St Andrew's Priory, Northampton
- St Pancras Priory, Lewes, Sussex
- Stansgate Priory, Essex
- Thetford Priory, Norfolk
- Wangford Priory, Suffolk
- Wenlock Priory, Shropshire
Priories in Scotland
- Crossraguel Abbey, Ayrshire
- Paisley Abbey, Renfrewshire
- Renfrew Abbey, Renfrewshire
See also
In Spanish: La orden de Cluny en Gran Bretaña para niños
