Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

A Benedictine nunnery established in the 7th century, deserted before the Norman conquest, refounded in 1130 as an Augustinian nunnery which returned to Benedictine rule by 1186, restored to the Augustinian order by 1396. Dissolved in 1536.

Among the graves some were probably Saxon.

The site lies on the brow of a hill, OD 50-55m.

Geophysical survey uncovered traces of walls to the east of the abbey. Extent unclear.

Monument Types

• BENEDICTINE NUNNERY (Abandoned, Early Medieval or Anglo-Saxon - 670 AD? (between) to 890 AD? (between))
• AUGUSTINIAN NUNNERY (Dissolved, Medieval - 1130 AD (between) to 1186 AD (between))
• BENEDICTINE NUNNERY (BENEDICTINE NUNNERY, Medieval - 1186 AD (between) to 1396 AD (between))
• AUGUSTINIAN NUNNERY (Dissolved, Medieval - 1396 AD (between) to 1536 AD (between))

Full description

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[TQ 9560 7301] Monastery [NR] (site of) [NAT] (1) [TQ 956 730] Priory [NR] (2) Minster, or St Sexburga, in Sheppey. This house was apparently Benedictine and Augustinian alternately. An early nunnery was founded c 670 but was ruined and deserted before the Norman Conquest. According to Hasted, some nuns moved from Newington into the ruined Abbey during the latter part of the reign of William I. In 1130 the house was re-edified as a priory by Archbishop William de Corbevil who, being an Augustinian canon, possibly refounded it for that order. The nuns appeared to have returned to Benedictine rule by 1186 when they received a grant from the abbot of St Augustine's. In 1396 Archbishop William de Courteney ordained that the nuns be restored to the Augustinian order and it seems to have remained so until the suppression. Prior to 1511 there had been 14 nuns, earlier still 17, but in 1381 only 7. At about the time of the suppression there were 10 nuns as well as a Prioress. The Priory was dissolved in 1536. (3) In 664 Queen Sexburga built at Minster an abbey which she called Mynstra, and maintained for 77 nuns. The Archbishop of Canterbury rebuilt it in the C12th bringing stone overseas from Caen. The Old Gate House (TQ 97 SE 31) is the only part of those remaining buildings. (4) There were nearly 40 rooms at the time of Henry VIII but the Gate House is all that now remains of the old monastic foundation. (5) Remains of the Priory are confined to the Church (TQ 97 SE 25) and gatehouse (TQ 97 SE 31). The other conventual buildings must have been situated to the N of the church as evidenced by the position of the gatehouse and the fact that the ground falls away rapidly to the E, S and W. (6) Checked and correct. (7) (TQ 9565 7298) Minster Abbey (St Mary and St Sexburga) (C of E) [NAT]. (8) Additional references. (9-11) Scheduled Ancient Monument No. 23026 The Benedictine nunnery of St Mary and later St Sexburga, was founded by Sexburga, widow of Ercombert, king of Kent. She settled here c670 with 77 disciples, but moved c675 to Ely. This nunnery was probably destroyed by the Danes in the C9th. According to Hasted, some nuns from Newington moved into the ruins late in the reign of William I, and in 1130 Archbishop William de Corbeuil re-edified the place, probably placing the nuns under his own Augustinian order. In 1511 the Prioress reported that there had formerly been 14 nuns and at one time 17. At the dissolution there were a Prioress and 10 nuns, 8 of which remained at the suppression. (12) There is a mention in the Domesday monachorum of Sexburga-mynster as a church subordinate to that at Newington near Sittingbourne. (13) TQ 956 730. Minster Priory was founded by Sexburga, widow of Ercombert of Kent, in c 670. 'The house suffered much from the Danes, by whom at last it was totally destroyed', but was refounded as a Benedictine nunnery in 1130. (14) The priory is situated prominently, on high ground (50m O.D.) overlooking the sea to the north and the Isle of Sheppey to the south. The surviving buildings comprise the church and the priory gatehouse, situated to the west of the church, both largely medieval. The ground falls away steeply to the south, so the claustral buildings (of which no trace remains) must have lain to the north. A diocesan building was constructed immediately north of the church in 1989; there are no earthwork traces in the remaining area, but buried features may exist. (15) The gatehouse (TQ 97 SE 31) was formerly recorded with the priory. Record recast. (16) Evaluation trenching by Canterbury Arch Trust in 1993 in Abbey Gardens (TQ 9563 7305) revealled 4. . . (truncated record)

Excavations in 1987 - 1988 uncovered two short masonary walls projecting north from the existing church and the cobbled foundations of a possible boundary wall, along with a cemetery (TQ 97 SE 60). All were associated with the early Minster Abbey.

Evidence was also found of the later redevelopment of the site when the monastery was refounded in the 12 th century. At least two new ranges of masonary buildings were constructed. The west range, approcimately 24.50 m x 8 m, butted to the north west of the original early medieval chapel. Only the west wall surveied as the rest of the chapel was demolished to make way for cloiser walsk. This west range was later demolished to make way for a 16th century tower.

The other range, was located 20 m to the north of the church and measured about 10 m by 7.55 m. (24 & 26)

Excavations in the 1980s to the north of the nave, apparently revealed no significant Anglo-Saxon occupation. But recent work by Canterbury Archaeological Trust to the north-west and north of the church gave clear ceramic evidence of Mid Anglo Saxon occupation but a hiatus during the Late Anglo Saxon period. Other sites excvated by Sheppey Archaeological Trust, including a site immediarely north of the second CAT site, has produced signifcant Mid Anglo-Saxon material also. (27)

In 1996 the Sheppey Archaeological Society carried out excavations at the site but there is no more information about this.

In 2004 a watching brief on the foundation trenches for a new house at 37 Queens Road found remains of a stone building of 13th century date. (28)

In 2007 a watching brief on the replacement of a manhole for the vicarage drains found a medieval building with clay floors. (29)

From the National Heritage List for England:
Details
The monument includes the Benedictine nunnery of St Mary and St Sexburga situated at the west end of a ridge overlooking the Thames estuary to the north. The ground to the south drops away steeply. The upstanding remains include parts of the abbey church and the gatehouse which date to the 12th century. These are surrounded by the foundations and other buried remains of the rest of the 12th to 16th century monastic complex, all sited within the area of the precinct. In addition to these later medieval remains are the remains of the original Saxon nunnery which are known to survive within the later precinct boundary. The church, Listed Grade A (equivalent to Grade I), is double aisled and includes remains of both the monastic church and the congregational church of the nunnery. To the north are the buried foundations of the rest of the claustral complex while further north and east are the monastic burial grounds. On the south side of the church the High Street follows the line of the medieval terracing which stepped the south side of the hill on which the abbey was situated. The gatehouse to the west of the church, Listed Grade I and excluded from the scheduling, survives practically complete to a height of three storeys and dates to the 13th century. It is built of ragstone and flint and has a castellated parapet of chequerwork stone and flint. On the south side the gateway is divided into a pedestrian entrance on the east and a carriage entrance on the west. On the north side a single arch spans the whole opening. One metre to the north of the gatehouse is a stone-lined well believed to date from the 12th century. A second well is situated c.100m to the north east of the church. Its stone lining is also believed to date from the 12th century. The abbey was founded in 664 by Queen Sexburga, the widow of Ercombert, king of Kent. A large and probably wealthy foundation with 77 nuns, the nunnery had become ruined and deserted by the time of the Conquest. It is likely that it was destroyed by Danes in the ninth century. In 1130 the house was re-edified as a priory by Archbishop William de Corbevil who, as an Augustinian canon, possibly refounded it for that order. However, by 1186 it had returned to Benedictine rule. In 1396 Archbishop William de Courtney ordained that the nuns should be restored to the Augustinian order where it remained until its suppression in 1536. At the time of the nunnery's dissolution an inventory was taken and from this it is known that the nunnery included the church, a Lady Chapel, a dorter, 15 various chambers, a frater, a bathroom, two floors of kitchen, five chambers within the gatehouse, a porter's lodge, a cheese house, a bake house, a brew house, a bolting house, a milk house, a granary and a belfry. Evidence from excavations during 1991-1992 in the area to the north east of the church indicates occupation of the area between c.AD 650 and c.AD 850 with a break until c.1150. To the north of the church traces of foundations and burials were uncovered in the late 1980s. Other remains uncovered over the years during construction work in the area include the remains of a probable iron bloomery, a metalled surface, possibly of a courtyard, as well as a number of other burials. Excluded from the scheduling are the Grade A Listed church building, the Grade I Listed gatehouse, all modern buildings, garages, sheds, paving, tarmac drive and road surfaces, rubbish bins, street lights, modern walling, railings, toilet, signposts, gates, fences, and fence posts, although the ground beneath all these features is included.

Reasons for Designation
A nunnery was a settlement built to sustain a community of religious women. Its main buildings were constructed to provide facilities for worship, accommodation and subsistence. The main elements are the church and domestic buildings arranged around a cloister. This central enclosure may be accompanied by an outer court and gatehouse, the whole bounded by a precinct wall, earthworks or moat. Outside the enclosure, fishponds, mills, field systems, stock enclosures and barns may occur. The earliest English nunneries were founded in the seventh century AD but most of these had fallen out of use by the ninth century. A small number of these were later refounded. The tenth century witnessed the foundation of some new houses but the majority of medieval nunneries were established from the late 11th century onwards. Nunneries were established by most of the major religious orders of the time, including the Benedictines, Cistercians, Augustinians, Franciscans and Dominicans. It is known from documentary sources that at least 153 nunneries existed in England, of which the precise locations of only around 100 sites are known. Few sites have been examined in detail and as a rare and poorly understood medieval monument type all examples exhibiting survival of archaeological remains are worthy of protection.

Despite disturbance caused by development, the nunnery at Minster Abbey survives comparatively well. It is a rare example of a pre-Conquest nunnery with royal connections which was later refounded. Excavation has demonstrated the survival of archaeological remains and environmental evidence from both the original Saxon nunnery and the later 12th century complex. This, combined with documentary evidence, can give an insight into the construction, use, destruction, reconstruction and later use of the nunnery as well as an understanding of the way of life peculiar to the inhabitants of both early and later medieval nunneries. (30)

Historic England archive material (31)

Resistivity survey carried out in 2018 found some anomalies consisted with a stone wall and possible additional structural features north of the church hall (32)

<1> OS 25" (OS Card Reference). SKE48250.

<2> OS 1" 1819 (OS Card Reference). SKE48105.

<3> by David Knowles, R Neville Hadcock, 1971, Medieval religious houses in England and Wales, 1953, Page Nos. 215, 229 (Bibliographic reference). SKE6370.

<4> Country Life Vol.1(1897) -, 1955 (MM Bell and SJ Weaver), Volume Nos. 117, Page Nos. 1662 (Bibliographic reference). SKE6363.

<5> The Abbey Church of Minster Sheppey 16 (Mory Hall) Recent undated (OS Card Reference). SKE49921.

<6> F1 AS Phillips 25-AUG-1959 (OS Card Reference). SKE41854.

<7> F2 CW Wardale 13-AUG-1963 (OS Card Reference). SKE43298.

<8> OS 1:2500 1971 (OS Card Reference). SKE48213.

<9> Kent Archaeological Society, Archaeologia Cantiana, being contributions to the history and archaeology of Kent vol 1 (1858)-, 1897 (J Cave-Brown), Volume Nos. 22, Page Nos. 165-168 (Bibliographic reference). SKE6334.

<10> Page, W. (ed), 1926, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Kent Volume II, Kent 1926, Volume Nos. 2, Page Nos. 149-50 (Monograph). SKE7944.

<11> The Buildings of England Most volumes held, NE and E Kent 1983 (J Newman & N Pevsner), Page Nos. 393 (Bibliographic reference). SKE6338.

<12> by David Knowles, R Neville Hadcock, 1971, Medieval religious houses in England and Wales, 1971 edition, Page Nos. 261, 282 (Bibliographic reference). SKE6370.

<14> Grose F 1785 'The Antiquities of England and Wales' Hooper & Wigstead London, Volume Nos. 3, Page (OS Card Reference). SKE43633.

<15> Struth, P & Richmond H, MAR-94, RCHME Field Investigation (OS Card Reference). SKE49689.

<16> K Fernie JUN-1995 RCHME Recording (OS Card Reference). SKE45207.

<17> Field report for monument TQ 97 SE 1 - August, 1959 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4996.

<18> Field report for monument TQ 97 SE 1 - August, 1963 (Bibliographic reference). SKE4997.

<19> ST MARY AND ST SEXBURGG'S GATEHOUSE, SHEERNESS AND MINSTER, FROM THE SOUTH EAST (Photograph). SKE2572.

<21> RCHME: Anglo Saxon Monasteries in Kent, Essex and Greater London (Collection). SKE6500.

<22> Not applicable, SMR Kent uncatalogued index entry, CAT 1993 Evaluation at Minster Abbey Gardens (Miscellaneous Material). SKE6440.

<23> Not applicable, SMR Kent uncatalogued index entry, Info from Simion Pratt (CAT) (Miscellaneous Material). SKE6440.

<24> Philp, B & Chenery, M, 1998, Prehistoric and Monastic Sites at Minster Abbey, Sheppey, Kent (Monograph). SKE12306.

<25> Not Given (Collection). SKE6506.

<26> The Faversham Society, 2000, Geophysical Survey of Land to the East of Minster Abbey, Sheppey (Unpublished document). SKE12314.

<27> RCHME, 1995, Thames Gateway: Recording Historic Buildings And Landscapes On The Thames Estuary (Unpublished document). SKE17329.

<28> Paul J Morgan, 2005, Site Report: 37 Queen's Road, Minster on Sea, ME12 2BH (Unpublished document). SKE17679.

<29> Weekes, J., 2012, Canterbury Archaeological Trust Interim Reports, Archaeologia Cantiana CXXXII 2012: 299-301 (Article in serial). SKE25119.

<30> English Heritage, Register of Scheduled Monuments (Scheduling record). SKE16191.

<31> Historic England, Archive material associated with Abbey Of St Mary And St Sexburga, Scheduled Monument (Archive). SKE54390.

<32> Andy Putman and Simon Pratt, 2018, Resistivity survey, north of Minster Abbey Church, Sheppey (Unpublished document). SKE53363.

Sources and further reading

Related records