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Record Details

NHER Number:3632
Type of record:Monument
Name:St Mary's Priory, Coxford

Summary

The ruins of St Mary's Priory, which was founded in the mid 12th century and went on to become one of the wealthiest Augustinian houses in Norfolk, before being dissolved in 1558. Some sections of the Priory church are still standing, and the earthworks of the rest of the Priory buildings, the precinct and a complex of fishponds are visible on aerial photographs. A Roman coin hoard was found on the site in the 18th century, and a gold medieval finger ring, which may have belonged to Thomas Gawdy, a prominent member of the Norfolk gentry in the 16th century, was found by metal detecting.

Images - none

Location

Grid Reference:Not displayed
Map Sheet:TF82NW
Parish:EAST RUDHAM, WEST NORFOLK, NORFOLK

Full description

Ruins of medieval priory of about 1200 to 1538.

1719.
Roman coin hoard found.

1822.
Coffin and tiled floor found.

1977. Metal detecting.
Medieval gold finger ring, with a Latin inscription, which probably belonged to a lawyer, possibly Thomas Gawdy, a high ranking member of the Norfolk gentry.
See (S1)-(S3).

1982.
Medieval tiles found.

1983. Metal detecting.
Thimble.

Full details, schedule, photographs in file.
See hanging plan of site.
E. Rose (NLA) 22 August 1990.

May 1992. Earthwork Survey.
See plan in file and report (S4) for notes on features additional to those previously published by the Ordnance Survey.
This site was included in (S5) and the earthworks are also noted in (S6).
P. Watkins (HES), 16 March 2015.

29 June 1993. NLA air photography.
Ruined remains of priory, earthworks or moat, boundaries and fishpond all clearly visible.
Layout of priory complex showing well through vegetation.
S. Massey (NLA) 30 January 2001.

5 July 1994. NLA air photography.
Earthworks and ruined masonry visible, including earthworks immediately beyond the southern boundary of the NHER marked extents, possibly the result of drainage.
Parchmarks of walls also visible.
Final image includes Coxford Abbey Farm.
M. Brennand (NLA), 12 February 2001.

12 July 1994. NLA air photography.
Cropmarks, ruined building and earthworks visible.
H. Clare (NLA), 22 february 2001.

27 July 1994. NLA air photography.
M. Brennand (NLA), 30 August 2001.

19 July 1996. NLA air photography.
Building foundations and earthworks of Coxford Priory clearly visible.
S. Massey (NLA), 27 April 2001.

29 July 1996. NLA air photography.
Cropmarks, earthworks and ruined building are visible.
H. Clare (NLA), 2 May 2001.

September/October 2004. Metal detecting at [1].
1 medieval coin.
See list in file.
A. Rogerson (NLA), 8 November 2004.

An Augustinian Priory, which moved to this position from East Rudham village in the late 12th or early 13th century.
The remains of the north transept arch are still standing, dating from the 13th century, with a 15th century blocked window.
The walls of the chancel and transept survive as blocks of masonry. The east end of the nave is marked with lumps of broken masonry. The Priory was one of the wealthiest Augustinian houses in Norfolk until the Dissolution.
See file for more details.
S. Spooner (NLA) 2 November 2005.

Monument Types

  • BOUNDARY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • CAUSEWAY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FISHPOND (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FLOOR (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • LINEAR FEATURE (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • MOAT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • PRIORY (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Associated Finds

  • ANIMAL REMAINS (Undated)
  • THIMBLE (Undated)
  • COIN (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • COIN HOARD (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • POT (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
  • COFFIN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • COIN (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • FINGER RING (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • HUMAN REMAINS (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • POT (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • STAINED GLASS (WINDOW) (Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)
  • UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Post Medieval - 1540 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status

  • Listed Building
  • SHINE
  • Scheduled Monument

Sources and further reading

---Article in Serial: Cozens-Hardy, B. 1961. Some Norfolk Halls. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XXXII pp 163-208. p 195.
---Aerial Photograph: TF 8429 AEG-AEM.
---Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1996. TF8429/AGA - AGE.
---Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1996. TF8429/AEZ, AFA - AFG, AFQ - AFW; TF8529/V, W.
---Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1994. TF 8429AEU - AEY.
---Aerial Photograph: Edwards, D.A. (NLA). 1994. TF 8429AGF - AGK.
---Record Card: Ordnance Survey Staff. 1933-1979?. Ordnance Survey Record Cards. TF 82 NW 1.
---Record Card: NAU Staff. 1974-1988. Norfolk Archaeological Index Primary Record Card.
---Newspaper Article: Mid Norfolk Advertiser. 1990. [Sale advertisement for land including ruins of St. Mary's priory]. 10 May.
---Publication: Knowles, D. and Hadcock, R. N. 1971. Medieval Religious Houses of England and Wales. pp 139, 155.
---Monograph: Pevsner, N and Wilson, W. 1999. Norfolk 2: North-West and South. The Buildings of England. 2nd Edition. pp 693-694.
---Newspaper Article: Mass said at ruined priory.
---Article in Serial: Saunders, H. W. 1910. A History of Coxford Priory. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XVII pp 284-370.
---Photograph: St Mary's Priory, Coxford. Print.
---Photograph: 1989. Coxford Priory. Print.
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Roman. Rudham (East).
---Record Card: Clarke, R. R. and NCM Staff. 1933-1973. Norwich Castle Museum Record Card - Medieval. Rudham (East) [2].
---Secondary File: Secondary File.
---Collection: Norfolk Historic Environment Record Staff. 1975-[2000]. HER Record Notes. Norfolk Historic Environment Service.
<S1>Newspaper Article: Eastern Daily Press. 1978. Gold find rewards patient searcher. 29 June.
<S2>Unpublished Document: Trett, R.. 1978. Thomas Gawdy of shottesham and a Sixteenth Century Gold Finger Ring from East Rudham.
<S3>Article in Serial: Trett, R. 1981. Thomas Gawdy of Shottesham and a Sixteenth Century Gold Finger Ring from East Rudham. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XXXVIII Pt I pp 94-95. p 94.
<S4>Unpublished Report: Cushion, B. 1992. Coxford Priory. Earthwork Survey Report.
<S5>Monograph: Cushion, B. and Davison, A. 2003. Earthworks of Norfolk. East Anglian Archaeology. No 104. p 138.
<S6>Article in Serial: Cushion, B. and Davison, A. 1997. A Group of Earthworks in the Tat Valley. Norfolk Archaeology. Vol XLII Pt IV pp 492-505.

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