Dodford Priory facts for kids
Dodford Priory was a small Augustinian monastery located in the village of Dodford, near Bromsgrove in Worcestershire. A monastery is a place where monks or nuns live and work, dedicating their lives to religious practices. The Augustinians were a group of Christian religious followers who lived under the rules of Saint Augustine.
History of Dodford Priory
Dodford Priory was started in 1184, most likely by King Henry II. It owned land around the area of Bromsgrove. In 1327, records show it also owned the right to appoint a priest for a special chapel called St. Nicholas Chapel in Elmley Lovett. This chapel was used for a "chantry," which meant prayers were said there regularly for the souls of specific people.
The priory was not very rich. In 1291, tax records show its yearly income was only about £4 17s, which was not much even back then. By 1464, it was struggling so much that only one monk was left living there. Because of this, King Edward IV ordered that Dodford Priory should join with another monastery called Halesowen Abbey, which belonged to a different group of monks called the Premonstratensians.
The Priory Closes Down
By 1535, the priory's income had grown a bit. It was making £7 from its own lands and over £17 from rents and woodlands. However, soon after, a big event known as the Dissolution of the Monasteries happened. This was when King Henry VIII closed down many monasteries across England. Dodford Priory was officially closed in either 1536 or 1538.
After it closed, the land and buildings of Dodford Priory were given to Sir John Dudley in 1538. He then sold it to Andrew Dudley, who in turn sold the main house of the priory to John Fownes in 1539. The Fownes family owned the property for many years after that.
What Remains Today
The original site of Dodford Priory was shaped like a triangle, measuring about 240 by 180 meters. You can still see parts of a moat or, more likely, a series of fishponds that would have been used by the monks. These areas are often waterlogged even today.
Some of the old buildings' remains are also visible. Experts believe that a part of the priory's dining hall, called the refectory, might still be there. You can see a special doorway with a sloped edge on its southwest side.
In the 1840s, the land where the priory once stood was bought by a group called the Chartist Co-operative Land Society. This group wanted to help working-class families. They divided the land into smaller plots of two, three, or four acres. The idea was that families could live on these plots and earn a good income from farming them. Around 70,000 people joined this society, paying money in the hope of getting one of these plots, which were given out by drawing names.
