Ewenny Priory facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ewenny Priory
"The most complete and impressive Norman ecclesiastical building in Glamorgan"
Type	Priory
Location	Ewenny, Vale of Glamorgan
Architectural style(s)	Romanesque
Listed Building – Grade I
Official name: Ewenny Priory Church
Designated	26 July 1963
Reference no.	11250
Listed Building – Grade I
Official name: Church of St Michael
Designated	26 July 1963
Reference no.	11251
Listed Building – Grade I
Official name: North Tower and attached stretch of precinct wall at Ewenny Priory (house)
Designated	3 March 1998
Reference no.	19470
Listed Building – Grade I
Official name: North Gatehouse at Ewenny Priory (house)
Designated	3 March 1998
Reference no.	19462
Listed Building – Grade I
Official name: South Gatehouse at Ewenny Priory (house)
Designated	3 March 1998
Reference no.	19471
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Ewenny Priory (Welsh: Priordy Ewenni) is an old monastery in Ewenny, Wales. It was built by Benedictine monks in the 12th century. What makes it special is its strong, castle-like defenses. It's also very well-preserved. One expert, John Newman, called it the "most complete and impressive Norman building" in the area.

After monasteries were closed down in England, parts of Ewenny Priory became a private house. This house is still owned by the Turbervill family today. The priory isn't usually open to visitors. However, the western part of the building, St Michael's Church, is still used as the local church. The Welsh heritage body, Cadw, looks after the priory. It's a very important Grade I listed building.

History of Ewenny Priory

How Ewenny Priory Started

Ewenny Priory was founded in 1141 by a man named Maurice de Londres. He gave the Norman church of St. Michael to a big abbey in Gloucester. He also gave them other churches so that a group of monks could live there. Maurice's father, William de Londres, had built the St. Michael church in the 12th century. William was one of the Norman knights who came to Glamorgan.

There was an even older church on this spot, from the early Celtic Christian times. Maurice de Londres had tried to build a castle there. But the Pope stopped him in 1128. The Pope threatened to kick him out of the church if he didn't stop.

Changes Over Time

The priory was closed down in 1536. At that time, only three monks lived there. The land was then rented to Sir Edward Carne. Sir Edward was a lawyer and diplomat who worked for King Henry VIII. In 1545, he bought the priory. He then started building a new house, called Ewenny Priory House. He used many parts of the old priory buildings for his new home. The Carne family also created two deer parks on the land.

Over the years, the estate was passed down through the Carne family. Eventually, it came to the Turbervill family through marriage. By the late 1700s, the Carne house was falling apart. A diarist named John Byng called it a "miserable mansion" in 1787. So, between 1803 and 1805, the old house was torn down. A new Georgian style house was built in its place.

The famous artist J. M. W. Turner painted the priory in 1795.

Today, Cadw cares for the priory church and much of the complex. Ewenny Priory House is still a private home for the Picton-Turbervill family. They also use it for weddings. St Michael's Church is still the local church for the village. In the early 2000s, the church was updated. A glass screen designed by Alexander Beleschenko was added. This screen separates the part of the church still in use from the older, unused eastern section.

Architecture and Design

Layout of the Priory

The priory is shaped like a rectangle. It sits on the south side of the Ewenny River. The priory church is on the east side. It has strong walls to the east, north, and west. The whole area used to be completely enclosed. But the southern wall was removed when Ewenny Priory House was built in the early 1800s.

The walls have two gatehouses, one to the north and one to the south. There are also three towers: north, west, and east. The priory is very well-preserved. Besides the house being built and some repairs in the late 1800s, it hasn't changed much. John Newman, an architectural expert, called the priory church the "most complete and impressive Norman building" in Glamorgan.

Why So Many Defenses?

Historians have wondered why such a small priory had such strong defenses. Michael Salter, who studies castles, thinks the defenses were mostly for show. He points out that there was no defensive ditch. Also, the location wasn't very strong, and the area was too big to defend easily. Elisabeth Whittle agrees. She says the defenses were "a façade, a show of strength built only to impress." But she also notes how big and solid the buildings are. Newman also believes the walls were for display, not for serious protection. He's not sure why a "small and relatively poor community" would spend so much on such a display.

Church Design

The priory church is a great example of Romanesque architecture. This style uses rounded arches, curved ceilings called barrel vaulting, and geometric patterns. The church's cruciform shape (like a cross) is also typical of this style. Some people, like Simon Jenkins, don't like the glass screen added in 2004. They feel it breaks up the church's original look.

Important Buildings and Areas

Many parts of the priory are listed as important historic buildings. The most important ones, called Grade I, include:

• The eastern and western parts of the priory church.
• The original West door frame, which is now in the East wall.
• The North Tower.
• The North and South Gatehouses.
• The wall on the western side of the priory.

Other important buildings, listed as Grade II*, include:

• Ewenny Priory House.
• A barn.
• A medieval fish pond.
• The wall around the eastern side of the priory.
• The old South East Tower.

Some structures are listed as Grade II, such as:

• The stable courtyard buildings.
• Parts of the precinct wall.
• A wall between the north and south gatehouses.
• A gateway and wall from the 19th-century changes to the grounds.

The priory is also a scheduled monument. This means it's protected by the government. The grounds are also listed as an important historic park.

Gallery

• 

  Transept of Ewenny Priory by J. M. W. Turner

• 

  An engraving of the priory complex from 1741

• 

  Ewenny Priory exterior

• 

  Ewenny Priory interior

• 

  Walls surrounding the priory precinct

• 

  One of the two 19th-century lodges built in emulation of the priory's medieval walls

Images for kids

• Priory interior
• St. Michael's Church