St Neots Priory facts for kids

St Neots Priory was a special kind of monastery called a Benedictine priory. Monasteries are places where monks live and pray. This priory was located right next to the town of St Neots in Huntingdonshire, which is now part of Cambridgeshire, England.

The First Monastery: Anglo-Saxon Times

A very early monastery was started here around the year 974. It was founded by a noble couple, Earl Aelric (or Leofric) and his wife Aelfleda (or Ethelfleda). They gave the monastery some land, which was part of a larger estate called Eynesbury. This land later became known as the manor of St Neots.

We're not entirely sure exactly where this first monastery stood. It might have been on the same spot where the main church of St Neots is today. The town of St Neots got its name because the bones, or "relics," of a Cornish holy person named Saint Neot were brought here. These relics were moved from a place called Neotstoke (now St Neot) in Cornwall. Having these relics helped the priory attract many visitors and pilgrims.

A French Connection: Bec Abbey's Priory

How St Neots Priory Became an Alien Priory

A very important person named Saint Anselm, who was an abbot (leader) of Bec Abbey in Normandy, France, visited the shrine of St. Neot around 1078-1079. In 1081, he sent eighteen monks from Bec Abbey to live at St Neots. These new monks replaced the earlier Saxon monks.

The priory was then officially re-established by Richard Fitz Gilbert and his wife Rothais. They were the lords of the local area. They made St Neots Priory a male Benedictine priory that depended on Bec Abbey in France. In 1113, Rothais gave the entire area of St Neots to the priory. The priory owned this land until it was closed down much later.

Why St Neots Priory Was Special

Many rich and powerful people in England gave a lot of support to Bec Abbey. They gave the abbey many properties in England. By the 1400s, Bec Abbey owned several priories in England, including St Neots. Other priories it owned were Stoke-by-Clare, Wilsford, Steventon, Cowick, and Ogbourne. St Neots Priory was one of the largest among these. Bec Abbey also owned Goldcliff Priory in Monmouthshire.

Even a place in London, the suburb of Tooting Bec, got its name because it used to belong to Bec Abbey a long time ago.

Moving to the Riverside

At some point, possibly when it became a Benedictine priory, the monastery moved to a new location. This new spot was right by the river, next to a place where people could cross. Later, a bridge was built there. This new site was a little north of where the Market Square is today.

Challenges as an Alien Priory

Because St Neots Priory was an "alien priory" – meaning it was controlled by a French monastery – it faced many problems. Whenever there was fighting between France and England, especially during the Hundred Years' War, the English government would often take control of its property. This happened many times.

Eventually, in 1409, St Neots Priory was given its independence from Bec Abbey. This process was called "denization" and it made the priory more like an English institution.

The End of the Priory: The Dissolution

When the Priory Closed Down

The priory was finally taken over by the government during the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539. This was a time when King Henry VIII closed down many monasteries and religious houses across England.

What Happened to the Buildings?

After the priory was closed, its buildings were torn down. The officials in charge of the Dissolution had strict orders to "pull down to the ground all the walls of the churches, steeples, cloisters, refectories, dormitories, chapter houses," and all the other structures. The materials from the buildings were then sold to make money for the King.

Today, nothing of the original priory buildings remains standing above ground. The very last part, a gateway, was taken down in the late 1700s. A special plaque now marks the spot where the priory once stood.

Notable Burials

• Richard fitz Gilbert, 1st Lord of Clare