Horton Priory facts for kids

Horton Priory was an old monastery located in a place called Horton in Dorset, England. A monastery is a special building where monks or nuns live and pray. Horton Priory was a type of monastery called a priory.

History of Horton Priory

Horton Priory started as a larger monastery called a Benedictine abbey around the year 970. It was founded by a powerful person named Ordgar, who was the Earl of Devon, or perhaps his son, Ordulph. The abbey was dedicated to a saint named Saint Olfrida. She was the mother of another saint, Edith of Wilton, and her father was King Edgar the Peaceful.

Later, in the early 1100s, the abbey became smaller. It was changed into a priory by Roger, who was the bishop of Salisbury at the time. This meant it became a smaller religious house that was connected to a bigger one, Sherborne Abbey.

What Happened to the Priory?

In 1539, a big event happened in England called the Dissolution of the Monasteries. This is when King Henry VIII closed down many monasteries across the country. Sherborne Abbey, which Horton Priory was linked to, was given to the king.

After the priory was closed, its land was given to different important people. First, it went to Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset. Later, it was given to William Herbert.

Today, you won't find any parts of the original Horton Priory. A church called St Olfrida's, which is the local parish church for Horton, was built on the same spot in the 1700s.