Priory Cottages, Steventon facts for kids
Priory Cottages, once known as Steventon Priory, is a very old house from the 1300s. It is located in the village of Steventon in Oxfordshire, England. This historic building used to be a special farm and estate owned by monks, called a monastic grange. It was even given the important title of a priory, which is a type of monastery.
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A Home for Monks
The story of Priory Cottages began when King Henry I gave the land of Steventon to a group of monks. These monks belonged to a priory called Notre-Dame de Bonne-Nouvelle in Rouen, a city in Normandy, France. This priory was connected to a much larger monastery called Bec Abbey.
Because of this connection, Priory Cottages became a "cell" of Bec Abbey. A cell was like a small branch or outpost of a main monastery. Even though it was called a priory, no big church or other monastery buildings were ever built here. It stayed a simple monastic grange, which means it was mainly a farm and estate. Only one or two monks lived and worked there.
By the late 1300s, the monks started renting out the building to other people. Much later, Priory Cottages became the property of Westminster Abbey, another famous monastery in England.
Inside the Old Building
Priory Cottages is built around a central open space, like a small yard. One of the most interesting parts of the building is its amazing roof structure. It has a special type of wooden ceiling called a "hammer-beam" roof, which is very strong and beautiful.
People also say there's a secret hiding place inside the chimney. This hidden spot is sometimes called a "priest's bolthole." It might have been used to hide priests during times when their religion was not allowed.
Ferguson's Gang and the National Trust
In 1939, a special group of women helped save Priory Cottages. They were known as Ferguson's Gang. This group of women loved old buildings and wanted to protect them. They kept their identities a secret and found fun, exciting ways to raise money for the National Trust. The National Trust is an organization that looks after historic places and natural beauty in England.
Ferguson's Gang was famous for delivering money in unusual ways. In July 1939, they went to the National Trust's big meeting. They brought what looked like a "Beneficent Bomb" – a bomb that does good! But it was actually a metal pineapple filled with £100. This money was their second payment to help the National Trust buy Priory Cottages.
The five women of Ferguson's Gang hoped to live in the cottages themselves. However, their plans changed when World War II began. Today, Priory Cottages are rented out to private tenants.
Visiting Priory Cottages
If you are interested in seeing Priory Cottages, you can arrange a visit. You need to write to the people who live there to make an appointment.
