Neasham Priory facts for kids

Neasham Priory was a special kind of monastery where Benedictine nuns lived and prayed. It was built a very long time ago, even before the year 1157. You could find it right by the River Tees, close to a place called Sockburn in County Durham. This priory was unique because it was the only one in the whole county that didn't report to the big Durham Cathedral Priory. It seems it was never very rich or famous.

The Priory's Story

The Neasham Priory was started around the year 1150. A woman named Emma, whose father Waldef was a local leader called a thegn (a bit like a lord), was the founder.

In the 1400s, the Bishop of Durham looked into some problems at the priory. This was because some of the nuns were not following the rules very well.

On December 29, 1540, the leader of the priory, Jane Lawson, gave the building to the King's helpers. This meant the priory was probably closed down around that time. This event was part of a bigger change called the Dissolution of the Monasteries. After it closed, Jane Lawson's brother, James Lawson, took over the house.

Today, you can't see any parts of the old priory building. However, since the 1800s, a house called Neasham Abbey has stood in about the same spot. There's also a single wall with a fancy old window in Darlington town centre. People say this wall came from the priory. A more certain piece from the priory is a large stone carving. You can see it in the treasury at Durham Cathedral.