Sele Priory facts for kids

Sele Priory was an old religious building in Upper Beeding, West Sussex, England. It was a special kind of monastery called a priory. Monks lived there a long time ago, dedicating their lives to prayer and study.

The Story of Sele Priory

What Was Sele Priory?

Sele Priory was a home for monks from the Benedictine Order. This group of monks followed strict rules about how they lived and worshipped. The priory was built a very long time ago, even before the year 1126! It was dedicated to St Peter, an important figure in Christianity.

A French Connection

Sele Priory wasn't fully independent. It was like a branch office of a much larger monastery called the Abbey of St Florent, which was located far away in Saumur, France. Because of this connection to a foreign country, Sele Priory was known as an "alien priory." This meant it had ties and sometimes sent money to its parent abbey in France.

The Braose Family's Role

The Braose family was very important to Sele Priory from the very beginning. They were powerful landowners in the area. Members of this family, like William de Braose and his son Philip de Braose, gave gifts and support to the priory. Later family members, including John de Braose and William de Braose, 1st Baron Braose, also continued to help the priory.

Changes Over Time

Over the centuries, things changed for Sele Priory. In 1396, it was allowed to become a "native religious house." This meant it mostly cut its ties with the French abbey in Saumur. It only had to send a small yearly payment of 11 marks to France.

Later, in 1459, a powerful church leader named William Waynflete, who was the Bishop of Winchester, took control of the priory. He wanted to use its resources for his new school, Magdalen College, Oxford. The priory officially closed down in 1480. The last monk living there was given a pension, which is like a retirement payment.

What's There Now?

Today, you won't find the original priory building standing as it once was. Instead, a house called The Priory now stands on the same spot. This house is a Grade II listed building, which means it's important historically. It might have some parts or materials from the old medieval priory, but most of the current house was built much later, in 1792.

Burials

• William de Braose, 1st Baron Braose was buried here. He was an important member of the Braose family who supported the priory.