Folkestone Priory facts for kids

Folkestone Priory was an old monastery in Folkestone, England. It was home to Benedictine monks. The church you see there today, St Mary and St Eanswythe's, used to be part of this priory. Before this, there was an even older nunnery (a place for nuns) called Folkestone Abbey in a different spot.

The First Abbey

This first abbey was likely the very first nunnery built in England. It was traditionally started in 630 by Saint Eanswith. She was the daughter of King Eadbald of Kent, whose father, Saint Æthelberht, was the first Christian king among the English.

The abbey was dedicated to Saint Peter. Like many other old buildings, it was destroyed by Vikings (also known as Danes). After it was ruined, the land it stood on fell into the sea.

The Second Monastery

In 1095, a new monastery for Benedictine monks was built. It was in a different place and was founded by Nigel de Mundeville, who was the Lord of Folkestone.

This new monastery was connected to a larger abbey in Normandy, France. It was dedicated to St Mary and St Eanswith, and the bones of Saint Eanswith were kept there. Just like the first abbey, the cliff where this monastery stood slowly crumbled into the sea. So, in 1137, William de Abrincis gave the monks a new, safer place. This new site is where the current parish church of Folkestone stands today.

The monastery buildings were put up between the church and the coast. Because it was linked to a French monastery, the English king would sometimes take control of it when England was at war with France. But later, it became independent from its French parent monastery. This meant it avoided being closed down, which happened to many other monasteries connected to France during the time of King Henry V.

The monastery continued until 1535. This was when King Henry VIII decided to close down many monasteries in England, an event known as the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Folkestone Priory was given to the king on November 15, 1535. We know the names of twelve leaders (called priors) of the monastery, with Thomas Barrett or Bassett being the last one. The monastery's income when it closed was about £50. King Henry VIII then gave the land and buildings to Edmund, Lord Clinton and Saye.

What Remains Today

The Chancel (the part of the church near the altar) of the current church is partly from the original church built in 1138.