List of monastic houses in Suffolk facts for kids

Suffolk, a county in England, was once home to many special religious communities called monastic houses. These were places where monks, nuns, or friars lived together, dedicating their lives to prayer, study, and work. They often ran schools, hospitals, and helped the poor.

This list tells you about the different monastic houses that existed in Suffolk, from ancient times until they were mostly closed down in the 1500s during a period known as the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Some of these places were large abbeys, while others were smaller priories or even just small cells.

Monastic Houses in Suffolk

This table lists the various religious communities that once thrived in Suffolk.

Name of House	Who Lived There	When It Started and Ended	What's Left Today
Alnesbourne Priory	Augustinian Canons (a type of monk)	Started around 1200. It was closed before 1514.	The land was given away in 1541/2.
Babwell Greyfriars	Franciscan Friars (also known as Greyfriars)	Started on November 19, 1262, after moving from Bury St Edmunds.	Closed in December 1538. The land was given to Anthony Harvey in 1541.
Battisford Preceptory	Knights Hospitaller (a military and religious order)	Started around 1154 with help from King Henry II.	Closed in 1540.
Blakenham Priory	Benedictine Monks	Started before 1092. This was an alien house, meaning it was controlled by an abbey in France.	Closed before 1230. The land was given to Eton College in 1460.
Blythburgh Blackfriars	Dominican Friars (also known as Blackfriars)	There was a plan in 1384 to move friars here from Dunwich, but it never happened.	N/A
Blythburgh Priory	The Chapel at Blythburgh Priory	Augustinian Canons from St. Osyth's Abbey, Essex. Started before 1135.	Closed on February 12, 1537. The land was given to Sir Arthur Hopton.
Bruisyard Abbey	First, a group of secular clergy (priests not bound by monastic rules) from 1347 to 1366. Then, Franciscan Nuns from 1364-7.	The nuns' community closed in 1359. The land was given to Nicholas Hare in 1539.
Bungay Priory	Bungay Priory	Benedictine Nuns	Started in 1183. The nuns left before April 1536, and the priory was closed.	Most buildings were destroyed by fire in 1688 but rebuilt. Today, it's the Parish Church of St Mary.
Bury St Edmunds Abbey	Bury St Edmunds Abbey	First, Saxon Benedictine Monks around 633, destroyed by Danes around 870. Then, a secular college from 903. Finally, Benedictine Monks again from 1020-2.	Closed on November 4, 1539. The remains are now in a public park.
Bury St Edmunds Greyfriars, earlier site	Franciscan Friars	An attempt to start in 1233 failed. Successfully started shortly after June 22, 1257.	The friars were forced to leave by the Abbey and moved to a new site.
Bury St Edmunds Greyfriars	Franciscan Friars	Started in 1258 with help from King Henry III.	The Pope ordered the friars to demolish their buildings, and they moved to Babwell.
Butley Priory	Remains of Butley Priory	Augustinian Canons	Started in 1171.	Closed on March 1, 1538. Parts of the priory are now part of later buildings.
Campsey Ash Priory	Augustinian Canonesses (a type of nun). Some records say they were Benedictine.	Started around 1195.	Closed in 1536. A house and barn now stand on the site.
Cavenham Preceptory	Knights Templar (another military and religious order)	Started before 1311.	Closed between 1308 and 1312.
Chipley Priory	Augustinian Canons	Started before 1291.	Closed in 1468. A farmhouse now stands on the site, using some old parts.
Clare Friary	Clare Priory	Augustinian Friars	Started in 1248/9. It was an alien house for a while.	Closed in 1538. It was re-established by Augustinian Friars from Ireland in 1953 and still exists today.
Clare Priory	First, a secular collegiate church around 1045. Then, Benedictine Monks from 1090. This was an alien house.	The community moved to Stoke by Clare.
Coddenham Camera	Knights Hospitaller	This was a smaller part of the Battisford Preceptory.	N/A
Coddenham Priory	First, there was a plan for Cistercian Nuns. Then, Augustinian Canons who were part of Royston Priory.	Started before 1184.	Closed in 1537.
Creeting St Mary Priory	Benedictine Monks	Started before 1156. This was likely an alien house.	Closed before 1414. The land was given to Eton College in 1462.
Creeting St Olave Priory	Benedictine Monks	Started before 1087. This was an alien house.	Closed in 1360 and sold.
Dodnash Priory	Augustinian Canons	Started around 1188.	Closed in 1525 to help fund Cardinal Wolsey's new schools. A farmhouse now uses some of its old stones.
Dunwich Blackfriars	Dominican Friars	Started before 1256.	Closed in 1538. This priory was lost to the sea due to coastal erosion.
Dunwich, Greyfriars, earlier site	Franciscan Friars	Started before 1277.	Moved to a new site in 1290 because of coastal erosion.
Dunwich Greyfriars	Dunwich Greyfriars	Franciscan Friars	Moved here in 1290 from an earlier site due to coastal erosion.	Closed in 1538. The land was given to John Eyre.
Dunwich Preceptory	Knights Templar	Started before 1199.	Closed between 1308 and 1312. It was then given to the Knights Hospitaller. This site was also lost to the sea.
Dunwich Priory	Benedictine Monks	Started after 1080. This was an alien house.	This priory was submerged by the sea between 1272 and 1307.
East Bergholt Abbey	Benedictine Nuns	Land bought in 1857.	Still exists today.
Edwardstone Priory	Benedictine Monks	Started in 1114. This was a cell (a small monastery) of Abingdon Abbey.	Closed around 1160, and the community moved to Earl's Colne.
Eye Priory	Eye Priory	Benedictine Monks	Started around 1080. It was an alien house but became independent around 1385.	Closed in 1534 or 1537.
Felixstowe Priory, possible earlier site	Benedictine Monks	Started around 1105. This was a cell of Rochester Cathedral.	Possibly moved from this site in the 14th century.
Felixstowe Priory	Benedictine Monks	Started around 1105 (possibly at an earlier site). It was a cell of Rochester Cathedral.	Closed in 1538 to help fund Cardinal Wolsey's college in Ipswich.
Flixton Priory	Augustinian Canonesses	Started in 1258.	Closed in 1537. Remains of the church might be part of Abbey Farmhouse.
Gislingham Preceptory	Knights Templar	Started before 1228.	Closed before 1308 and destroyed in 1338. The land was given away in 1553.
Great Bricett Priory	Great Bricett Priory	Augustinian Canons	Started around 1110. This was an alien house.	Destroyed by fire in 1416 but re-occupied. Closed around 1444. Parts of the church are now part of the local parish church.
Hadleigh Monastery	Supposedly a Saxon monastery.	N/A	N/A
Hoxne Priory	Farmhouse at Abbey Farm, Hoxne Priory	First, a Secular collegiate church before 951, likely destroyed. Then, Benedictine Monks from 1101.	Closed in 1538. The land was given to Richard Gresham in 1546/7.
Icanho Monastery	Saxon Benedictine? monks	Started 653-4 by St Botolph.	Destroyed by Danish raids around 870.
Ipswich Austin Friars	Augustinian Friars	Started during the reign of King Henry III.	Closed and given to William Sabyne in 1541/2.
Ipswich Blackfriars	Remains of St Mary, Blackfriars, Ipswich	Dominican Friars	Started in 1263.	Closed in 1538.
Ipswich Greyfriars	Franciscan Friars	Started before 1236.	Closed in 1535.
Ipswich — Holy Trinity Priory	Augustinian Canons	Started around 1133.	Closed in 1537. It was rebuilt after a fire in 1194.
Ss Peter & Paul Priory, Ipswich	Augustinian Canons	Started around 1190.	Closed in May 1528 to help fund Cardinal Wolsey's college.
Ipswich Priory	Augustinian Canons	Started during the reign of William the Conqueror.	Closed and given to Richard Codington in 1538/9.
Ipswich Whitefriars	Carmelite Friars (also known as Whitefriars)	Started before 1271.	Closed in 1538. The land was given to John Eyre in 1544/5.
Ixworth Priory, earlier site	Augustinian Canons	An early attempt around 1100 failed. A community started around 1170 but was destroyed in war.	N/A
Ixworth Priory	Ixworth Abbey	Augustinian Canons	Started around 1170 on a different site.	Closed in 1537. Remains are now part of a house called 'Ixworth Abbey'.
Kersey Priory	First, a hospital started in 1218. Then, Augustinian Canons before 1219.	Closed between 1443 and 1444.
Lavenham Priory	Benedictine Monks	N/A	Later became a mansion and is now a hotel.
Leiston Abbey	Leiston Abbey	Premonstratensian Canons	Started in 1365, moving from Old Leiston Abbey.	Closed in 1536. Parts of the church are now part of a house called 'Abbey House'.
Letheringham Priory	Augustinian Canons	Started around 1194.	Closed in 1537.
Little Welnetham Priory	Trinitarian Friars	N/A	N/A
Mendham Priory	Remains of Mendham Priory	Cluniac Monks	Started before 1155. It was an alien house but became independent later.	Closed in 1537.
Old Leiston Abbey	Premonstratensian Canons	Started in 1183.	Moved to a new site at Leiston in 1365 due to flooding. The old site was still used as a small cell.
Orford Austin Friars	Augustinian Friars	Started between 1295 and 1299.	Closed in December 1538.
Redlingfield Priory	Benedictine Nuns	Started around 1120.	Closed on February 10, 1537. A house was rebuilt on the site in 1875, using some old parts.
Ringshall Cell (?)	Benedictine Monks	Thought to be a small cell (a very small monastery).	N/A
Rumburgh Priory	St Michael Rumburgh, once part of the Priory	Possibly a Saxon monastery in the 11th century. Then, Benedictine Monks from between 1047 and 1064.	Closed in 1528 to help fund Cardinal Wolsey's college. The church is still used as the Parish Church of St Michael.
St. Olaves Priory, Herringfleet	St Olave's Priory	Augustinian Canons	Started around 1216.	Closed in 1537. A house was built on the site, using old parts, but it was demolished later.
Sibton Abbey	Remains of Sibton Abbey	Cistercian Monks	Started on February 22, 1150.	Closed in 1536. A house was built on the site, but it's now a private estate.
Snape Priory	Benedictine Monks	Started in 1155. It was a cell of St John's Abbey, Colchester.	Closed on January 19, 1525. Abbey Farm might be on the site.
South Elmham Monastery	An old religious center from the 7th century.	N/A	N/A
Stoke by Clare Priory	Benedictine Monks	Started in 1124, moving from Clare. It was an alien house but became a secular college later.	Closed in 1415 as a priory, then as a college in 1548. The main house is now a school, and the church is still used.
Stoke-by-Nayland Monastery (?)	Monks or a secular college.	Possibly started before 946.	N/A
BlackFriars, Sudbury	Dominican Friars	Started before 1247.	Closed in 1539. A house was built on the site.
Sudbury Augustinian Priory	Augustinian Canons	N/A	N/A
Sudbury Benedictine Priory	Benedictine Monks	Started around 1115. It was a cell of Westminster Abbey.	Closed around 1538. The priory house was demolished in 1779.
Wangford Priory	Cluniac Monks	Started before 1160. It was a cell of Thetford Priory but became independent later.	Closed in 1540/1. The last parts were demolished in the 19th century.
Welnetham Crutched Friars	Crutched Friars	Started before 1274.	Closed in 1538.
Wherstead Priory	The type of community and when it started are unknown. It's only an alleged monastery from the 13th century.	N/A	N/A
Wickham Skeyth Priory	Benedictine Monks	Started after 1135. It was part of St John's Abbey, Colchester.	Closed around 1164, and the community moved to Colchester.
Woodbridge Priory	Augustinian Canons	Started around 1193.	Closed between 1534 and 1537. A building was constructed on the site, now used as a school called 'the Abbey'.
Yenston Grange	Benedictine Monks	This was an alien house (a grange or farm) controlled by an abbey in France.	When it started and ended is unknown.

See also

• List of monastic houses in England