Monument record 600/3 - Canons Ashby Priory

Augustinian priory dedicated to the Blessed Virgin founded between 1147 and 1151, dissolved in 1536. After Dissolution the monastic buildings were converted into a secular residence which was succeeded in less than 20 years by a country house established in the original core of the village, now Canons Ashby House [HER no 600/5]. The present St Mary's Church represents the standing remains of the western part of the nave of the monastic church. Adjacent to the east is a raised rectangular platform about 50 metres long and 20 metres wide which was partly excavated in the 19th century revealing the foundations of the eastern parts of the original church. Adjacent to the south of the remains of the church are those of the monastic cloister. These were found to have been converted into domestic outbuildings in the late 16th century. The boundary of the monastic precinct and of the country house which developed out of it is represented by a series of earthworks and buried deposits and by a fragment of standing masonry. To the east of the monastic precinct is an area of pasture known as Canons Walk, bounded on the north and east by a linear bank with a ditch on each side. The interior of the enclosure is largely level. On its western side is a shallow depression representing the site of a building, and to the south is a circular mound 0.5 metres high. These features are considered to represent the remains of a post-Dissolution garden established in the mid-16th century. The linear bank served as a raised walk from which planting on the interior of the garden would have been viewed, and the circular mound is a prospect mound constructed as a vantage point from which the whole garden could be seen. The earthworks were surveyed by RCHME field staff in 1992. The area covered by the monastic precinct has been difficult to establish and little is known of its layout and construction. This record covers a speculative area and includes some earthworks that may be associated with the priory but their attribution is not certain. The church lies within the area of Scheduled Ancient Monument Northamptonshire 154 which covers most of the area thought to have been the precinct of the priory and later occupied by the post Dissolution mansion built by the Copes on the site of the old priory buildings. Any work within this area which involves disturbing the ground will require Scheduled Monument Consent.

{1} A religious house was established at Canons Ashby in the middle of the 12th century when land, tenements and a church were granted for the foundation of an Augustinian Priory with a Prior and 12 canons. The church and claustral buildings were not built until the 13th century.
Archaeological work showed that the familiar pattern of a priory church flanked by a square cloister with east, west and south ranges, was probably followed at Canons Ashby. Ironstone footings of part of the church, claustral and other buildings were exposed, suggesting that an alley bordered the west and south ranges of the cloister, and revealing the morphology and dimensions of the south range of the priory. Excavations also confirmed that the church was reduced to its present state at the Dissolution, with the demolition and subsequent levelling and robbing of the claustral ranges. Adjacent to the north side of the tower, a plain tiled floor of late 16th/early 17th century date was revealed, corroborating Baker’s account that a building was formerly attached to this part of the church.

{2} The priory, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, was founded in 1147-51, probably for 13 canons, and was dissolved in 1536. A church, land, houses, crofts, a fishpond and a horse mill were among the gifts at its foundation.

In 1970 excavations were carried out in the south-west corner of the cloister. It was mainly restricted to the upper levels and little of medieval date was recorded. Only the south-west corner of the cloister was revealed, above which was a late 16th century floor. The excavator concluded that the medieval building was the vaulted undercroft of the monastic refectory which was incorporated into a 16th century building. Demolished in the 18th century. It is probable that this structure was part of the house built by Sir John Cope. Many medieval floor tiles were found and fragments of late 16th/early 17th century Venetian glass goblet.

{3} Earthworks of the shrunken village and priory were subjected to detailed survey, including plans.

{4} Previous Archaeological Research of the Priory: The earliest recorded excavation on the priory site was conducted by Baker who, in 1828, exposed sections of the nave, aisle, choir, and chapter house walls. Later in the century, Sir Henry Dryden carried out further below ground explorations, alongside extensive restoration of the standing fabric of the church. In 1909 Dryden gathered the results of this fieldwork in a reconstructing the conventual layout. The drawing now held at the Northamptonshire Reference library was largely conjectural and inspired by known plans of Augustinian houses with a cloister garth enclosed by an range comprising a chapter house, and a southern range housing the plan remained unpublished until 1974, when Taylor reproduced it in report on an excavation he conducted on the site, four years earlier {13}. Taylor's work constitutes the only recorded archaeological investigation in the present century, prior to 1982.

In 1982, as part of a mayor conservation-scheme involving the Tudor house and its gardens, the National Trust commenced the restoration of the relict Priory church. The installation drains in deep trenches around the church, required prior archaeological investigation. At the same time an adjoining property to the south of the church and known as the Woodyard's was being converted into a private dwelling and gardens. The location of the Woodyard's within the area of the former monastic precinct and partly on the site of the claustral buildings, meant that archaeological recording essential. Besides, the northern half of the yard was also within the area scheduled as an Ancient Monument. This work was conducted intermittently in 1982-3 by the Northamptonshire County Council Archaeological Unit, along side the restoration and with the aid of grants from the Department of the Environment. Investigation and recording was limited to that of the trenches and other ground disturbance required for water and sewer pipes, electrity cables and driveways

{5} The Priory was not established until the mid C12th when Stephen de Leye who then held the manor, granted 4 virgates, a mill, various meadow and field land , the church, and “mansions and crofts” in Ashby for the foundation of an Augustinian Priory, with a Prior and twelve Canons. Later Stephen granted an additional half hide in Ashby (probably representing two virgates), whilst his son Robert endowed them with a further eleven virgates in Ashby which his brother High had purchased from Baldwinde Bray. Therefore by 1242-3 the Prior and Robert de Leye each held half of a knights fee in Ashby. Later lords granted further property and rights including one virgate with a messuage, toft, croft and meadow land, licence to build a watermill, meadow land, one virgate etc. By 1295 the Prior held a full knights fee in Ashby of Robert de Grey, the heirs of the Leye family. The de Greys however retained overall lordship of the parish until at least the mid C15th, for the 1455-6 rental refers to the works due for the fee farm of the lord of Ashby, lord Edmund de Grey.
As the foundation grant including the pre-existing parish church it is likely that it was laid out over a small part of the existing village.
The definition of the monastic precinct is difficult because of the absence of detailed documentary evidence and limited excavation evidence. The large, L-shaped ‘moat’, which is in fact more a terrace, provides a distinct boundary on the south side, while to the north-east degraded earthworks may represent a return of this boundary. On the north-west a scarp may represent the inner edge of a courtyard with the possible surrounding platforms indicating buildings around the court, perhaps the ‘wool house’ area previously referred to. On the north side both the earthworks and surviving boundaries correspond to the fragment of upstanding masonry and excavated evidence for the north gate of the Priory recorded by Dryden. As these features represent a roughly square enclosure, constrained on three sides by ridge and furrow, and enclosing the whole of the known monastic buildings, it is unlikely to relate purely to the post-dissolution mansion. That the monastic precinct did not extend along the main street as far as the Adstone Road would seem to be confirmed by the 1573 deed describing the “barnes and barne yard situate and lying between the Woolhouse parcel of the said scite” and the house of John Dryden; while in the C15th the Wellhouse Close, the close on the opposite side of the High Street described by Bridges as the close in which lay the Norwell, and where a post medieval well house still stands, was let out to William Cherry, indicating that it was outside the priory precinct.
The Priory itself is poorly documented, the main source being the 1329 inventory which mentions the following buildings: “the grange of Ashby”, another “grange”, the “outer grange” (presumably large barns are meant, but it is unclear where these were located), the dovecote, sheepcote, mill, carpenter’s workshop, granary, smith’s workshop, bakehouse, brewhouse, cellar, furnace kitchen, and great kitchen. Little is known of their layout or construction. Archaeological evidence is also unsatisfactory, deriving mainly from investigations by Baker c.1826 and Dryden in the mid C19th. Dryden’s plan is highly conjectural. Moreover, his investigations were restricted to the main monastic buildings: the priory church with some of its associated interior burials, the cloister, possible refectory and adjacent buildings. With the exception of the fragmentary evidence obtained for the north gatehouse, no information is available for the remainder of the site, ie. The majority of it
At Dissolution the priory and the village was purchased from the crown by Sir Francis Bryan, who in turn sold it to Sir John Cope in 1538. At some time in the following thirty years the Dryden family appear to have held a considerable part of the manor form Cope, a lease which was modified in 1573, but apparently Cope retained the site of the priory which he had converted into a mansion. However the property did not find favour with later family members and by 1600 it had been subdivided and let out to several tenants. Most of the manor was acquired by the Drydens in 1665, and in 1669 William Foxley and Joseph Aris granted Robert Dryden “the stone and stone walls, lead, timber, tyle, glass, brick brands and materials in or about the capital messuage or mansion house in Canons Ashby, together with all buildings ib the ground or soil of the same.” The deed however excluded “so much as rangeth from the Great Hall dore towards John Painters dwelling and is occupied by John Painter” as well as “the outhouse, barns and stables belonging to the capital messuage.” The mansion itself, presumably still in essence the medieval structure, was finally demolished c.1710.
On the north side both the earthworks and surviving boundaries correspond to the fragment of upstanding masonry and excavated evidence for the north gate of the Priory recorded by Dryden.

{7} The Augustinian Priory at Canons Ashby dedicated to the Blessed Virgin was founded 1147-51 probably for 13 canons, and was dissolved in 1536. A church and surrounding land, houses, crofts, a fishpond and a horse-mill were given at the founding. The present church is a surviving part of the conventual building altered throughout the medieval period. Excavation in 1828 found walls running more than 100 feet east of the present building, others interpreted as the old choir and chapter house. The stone had no doubt been used to build the residence of the Copes, who were granted the site in 1538. This house was demolished 1710. At SP 57955040 is a circular mark (the horse mill?).

{12} The Augustinian Priory of Canons Ashby was founded in 1147-51 by Stephen de Leye for 13 canons. In his original endowments he included the church of Ashby, with 4 virgates of land, a fishpond, a mill, Rudemede, the enclosure of Segebo, 26 acres in Ashby field and all the houses and crofts as far as the principal gate.

{13} Canons Ashby takes its name from the Augustinian priory founded there in the reign of King John. At Dissolution the site and all the property of the former priory was granted to Sir Francis Bryan, from whom it passed to Sir John Cope. Cope is said to have converted the site into a residence.

Part of the site of the cloisters was excavated in 1970 prior to building work, to see if later works
had damaged the medieval foundations. The cloister floor was well and evenly laid, consisting of faced
ironstone blocks placed in irregular rows. Against the western wall a small slot with a posthole in its
centre, presumably representing the remains of some wooden fixture contemporary with the floor.
Part of the westernmost wall of the cloiseter was also exposed. This was 5ft in thickness, of well cut
and faced ironstone masonry with a mud and rubble core. Window and door openings were
recognisable and remains of pillars were also found.

{14} During excavation of foundations for a new greenhouse in the grounds of Canons Ashby House, a very damaged (and clearly) residual architectural fragment was found. It was possibly from an arch and probably medieval in origin from the nearby Augustinian Priory.

{15} PLAN:0/8/1908 (1)(2)(11);

{16} Observation during excavation of postholes in 1979. There were large fragments of ironstone 6" below topsoil, appearing in all 4 sections. On line of proposed south wall of chapter house running east-west. 'Wall' made of small-medium fragments of ironstone. No exceptionally large fragments associated with facing stones.

{17} Part of a column was found at SP57785056.

{18} The west wall of the cloister buildings, 5ft thick and incorporating a door and a window, was
located, as was the north wall of the south cloister range; this wall was over 7ft thick. A good rammed
ironstone floor on a rubble foundation was associated with these walls. A white limestone column
base, in situ on the earliest floor, was at a distance of 11ft from both west and north walls. The
medieval floor lay some 3ft 8ins below the modern ground level in the north part of the excavated
area, and less than 2ft deep below the modern farmyard on the south side. Both north and west walls
came almost to the modern ground surface.
Some 6 ins above the medieval floor was a rough mortar floor sealing a late C16th glass vessel; some
9 ins above the mortar floor was a well-laid floor of ironstone blocks, with setting for modern fixtures.
Associated with these post medieval floors were a number of flimsy partition walls dividing the main
chamber into smaller rooms; also a stone structure which may well have been a stand for a beer vat.
A comparable stand exists in a surviving C17th brewhouse a few miles form Canons Ashby. The
building went out of use c.1700, when the house of the Cope family, which had been erected on the
monastic site after the Dissolution was demolished. The site was then covered with up to 3ft of rubble
and broken masonry, including numbers of very work medieval floor tiles and fragments of C17th pottery.

{26} At Canons Ashby the major surviving portion of the monastic establishment is the west front of the church (the remainder of it being post-dissolution, probably when it was coverted to the domestic chapel). Part of one column survives in a roadside wall at SP 5778 5056, a stone medieval well house is at SP 5785 5070 and a walled garden at SP 5785 5048 is locally believed to have been the vineyard.

A recent excavation at SP 5779 5048 for MPBW uncovered the south west corner of the cloister. The moat, enclosure banks and ponds to the south east have been recently altered by filling and ploughing and now only part survive. The site of the Copes house which may have been one of the monastic buildings converted was not established. The site of the horse mill could not be substantiated. See photos and annotated 25" surveys.

{27} The church is now derelict and in a delapidated condition; otherwise there is no change to this site.

{28, 29} The cropmark of a possible Post Medieval rectangular enclosure can be seen on aerial photographs taken in 2004. This is situated to the south of Canons Ashby at SP 5768 5026. One side of this enclosure is defined by the cropmark of a field boundary depicted on a 1952 Ordnance Survey map.

{30} This site was formerly recorded under SP 55 SE 1. The 'Medieval well' mentioned by previous sources has been assigned a new record: SP 55 SE 26.

{31} St Mary's Church has recently been renovated by the National Trust following acquisition of the Canons Ashby estate in 1981 {8}. For further details, see RCHME Level 3 client report and plan at 1:1000 scale, held in archive.

The graveyard was formerly smaller than the present enclosed area. The surviving graves are on a roughly rectangular platform covering 75% of the modern graveyard. The platform stands up to 1.2 metres above the footings of the church from which it is separated by a gravel path and a retaining wall.

The platform is almost level except for disturbances on the north east (a large tree) and the south west (the Dryden family burial enclosure). In the centre of the platform are irregular earthworks and a rectilinear hollow suggestive of an excavation, near to remains which Henry Dryden, in the 19th century, attributed to the priory.

A resistivity survey by Northamptonshire Archaeological Unit suggested walls buried beneath the graveyard but did not reveal a clear ground plan {19}.

An earthwork probably representing a small pond lies at the eastern end of the graveyard. At present this forms a soak-away for the stream running into its northern end but once may have held standing water.

To the south of the church lies the trapezoidal enclosure referred to as the Canons' Walk in the RCHME inventory {2}.

Its southern and western sides have been destroyed or reduced by ploughing. However crop marks of the west side suggest that the bank had ditches on both sides. In the southern part of the enclosure are some, heavily silted, small ponds with a low sub-circular mound, possibly a prospect mound, to their north. The RCHME Inventory suggests that the Canons' Walk and related features were incorporated into the sixteenth century garden associated with Sir John Cope's house. The Canons' Walk overlies ridge-and-furrow but, as the land surrounding the village (SP 55 SE 1) was enclosed before Dissolution this stratigraphic relationship cannot exclude an association between the Priory and the enclosure.

The L-shaped 'moat' east of Canons' Walk is largely infilled, surviving as a terraced feature. The western bank of Canons' Walk appears to be built up against the moat confirming the moats association with the priory complex.

A group of earthworks forming a slightly distorted square around the church may indicate the boundary of the priory precincts. This perimeter is defined by the moat, the margins of the churchyard and the scarps in the paddock west of the church. This putative precinct corresponds closely to the location of the north gate, would enclose all the known buildings and is surrounded on three sides by ridge and furrow {5}.

Excavations were carried out in the churchyard by Baker and the Reverend Henry Dryden in the early 19th century. {8, 13, 19}

{36} Four photos plus engraving;

{37} Photo dated 1884, rubbings, notes and drawings;

<1> AUDOUY M., 1991, The Priory Church of Saint Mary, Canons Ashby, p.76 (unchecked) (Article). SNN75256.

<2> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1981, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.35 site 2 (checked) (Series). SNN77381.

<3> National Trust, 1992, Archaeological Survey: Canons Ashby, Northamptonshire (Report). SNN47558.

<4> Beamish, H.J.H., 1987, Earthworks at Canons Ashby, (unchecked) (Typescript Report). SNN77339.

<5> FOARD G.R., 1982, Canons Ashby, Northamptonshire: An Archaeological Report, 1982, p.1-4 (checked) (Typescript Report). SNN45382.

<6> Serjeantson R.M.; Ryland W. (Editors), 1906, The Victoria History of the Counties of England: Northamptonshire, p.130 (unchecked) (Series). SNN100369.

<7> Knowles; Hadcock, 1971, Medieval Religious Houses England and Wales, p.132 (unchecked) (Book). SNN10192.

<8> JACKSON-STOPS G., 1984, Canons Ashby (Northamptonshire), (unchecked) (Guide). SNN70500.

<9> BL MS Egerton 3033, (unchecked) (Document). SNN48678.

<10> SC/11/495, (unchecked) (Document). SNN108812.

<11> Baker G., 1822-36, The History and Antiquities of Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Book). SNN10400.

<12> Steane J., 1974, The Northamptonshire Landscape, p.121 (checked) (Book). SNN5137.

<13> Taylor S.J., 1974, An Excavation on The Site of The Augustinian Priory, Canons Ashby, Northamptonshire, p.57 (checked) (Article). SNN71340.

<14> Soden I, 2016, Archaeological observation and monitoring for new greenhouse foundations at Canons Ashby House, Northamptonshire, August 2016, p. 4-5 (Report). SNN110567.

<15> Dryden H., 1869, Canons Ashby, (unchecked) (Document). SNN46914.

<16> Brown, K, 1979, St Mary's Church, Canons Ashby: Site Recording Sheets, 1979, (unchecked) (Recording Form (Not SMR)). SNN57502.

<17> Ordnance Survey, 1950s/1960s, Ordnance Survey Record Cards, SP55SE1 (unchecked) (Index). SNN443.

<18> Brown, A.E. (Ed.), 1970, Archaeology in Northamptonshire 1969 (Medieval), 4/16-7 (checked) (Article). SNN30971.

<19> Dix, B.; Masters, P.; Steadman, S., 1992, Archaeological Investigations at St. Mary's Church, Canons Ashby, Northamptonshire, (checked) (Report). SNN70945.

<20> Youngs, S M, Clark, J & Barry, T B, 1983, Medieval Britain in 1982, p. 197 (Article). SNN113459.

<21> 1970, Medieval Archaeology (14), 14/169 (Journal). SNN38358.

<22> Masters, P., 1992, SMR report form, (checked) (SMR Report Form). SNN106477.

<23> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, Parish Files (unchecked) (Archive). SNN115.

<24> AUDOUY M., 1982, Canons Ashby: The Woodyard, A Summary of The 1982 Excavations, (unchecked) (Report). SNN1934.

<25> Hibbitt D.; Allen M., 2010, Archaeological Evaluation Report: Geophysical Surveys at Canons Ashby, Northamptonshire, p.7 (checked) (Report). SNN107714.

<26> Unknown, 1960s-1970s, Field investigators comments, First Ordnance Survey Archaeology Field Investigator 07/05/1970 (Notes). SNN110368.

<27> Unknown, 1960s-1970s, Field investigators comments, Second Ordnance Survey Archaeology Field Investigator 29/10/1976 (Notes). SNN110368.

<28> Oblique Aerial Photograph, NMR SP 5750/100 (23421/05) 25-FEB-2004 (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN111738.

<29> Ordnance Survey Map (Scale/date), 1:10,560/1952 (Map). SNN112944.

<30> Historic England, Unknown, Oral information, correspondence (not archived) or staff comments, Lee ES 22-JUL-91 RCHME Recording (Oral Report). SNN111577.

<31> Historic England, Undated, RCHME: Canon's Ashby, Northamptonshire (Archive). SNN115632.

<32> Royal Air Force, Vertical Aerial Photography, RAF CPE/UK/1994, 4096-7 (Photographs). SNN104890.

<33> Aerial Photograph, CUCAP, BEN 25 (Photographs). SNN112974.

<34> Historic England, Undated, Canons Ashby, Archival material held by Historic England (Archive). SNN115732.

<35> Historic England, Undated, St Mary's Church and Former Priory, Canons Ashby, BF061853 (Archive). SNN115733.

<36> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, DR/25/54/34-37, 39 (Archive). SNN115.

<37> Dryden H.E.L., 1842-1895, Dryden Collection, DR/25/54/75, 77-81, 85, 86 (Archive). SNN115.

Record last edited

Feb 10 2025 7:15PM