Little Malvern Priory
| Little Malvern Priory | |
|
Little Malvern, Worcestershire | |
|---|---|
 Little Malvern Priory Church | |
| Church of England | |
| Diocese of Worcester | |
| Location | |
| History | |
| Information | |
| Website: | Little Malvern Priory (St Giles) |
Little Malvern Priory is today the parish church of Little Malvern in Worcestershire, a village to the south of Great Malvern and likewise at the foot of the Malvern Hills. It was built as the church of a mediæval, Benedictine monastery whose remains stand in the village.
The priory was founded in the twelfth century, and it lasted until the Dissolution of the Monasteries, being itself dissolved in 1537. Thereafter the monastery church became the Church of St Giles.
History
Little Malvern Priory was one of the smallest monasteries of the Benedictines, generally accepted as having been created in 1125. There has been a theory that it was originally founded by two brothers, Jocelyn and Eldred, who came here as hermits from Worcester in 1171, but this theory has been disproven by the records of Bishop Simon of Worcester (1125-1150) which refer to 'Little Malvern and the Church there situated' as being 'one inseparable body with the church of Worcester' so that the 'Prior of Worcester in way of correction' could 'remove monks from Little Malvern to Worcester, place monks of Worcester in their room and choose the Prior of Malvern in the Chapter of Worcester'.
Fragments of late Norman work in the nave survive from the early foundation.
Throughout its life, the priory was dependent on the monastic community of Worcester Cathedral (not Malvern Priory up the road), and this continued uninterrupted until the Dissolution of the Monasteries under Henry VIII. In 1323 Bishop Cobham found it necessary to send the monks a letter condemning various abuses which had crept into the life of the Priory, and in 1480 an episcopal visitations by Bishop Alcock found 'the great ruin of the Church and place', and when he discharged the Prior and monks 'by reasons of their demerits'. According to his own account the 'builded their Church and put their place of lodging' into a sufficient state of repair so that the monks were able to return to their Priory in 1482, having spent two years under correction at Gloucester Abbey. Otherwise Little Malvern generally escape notice in the records.
The priory was dissolved on 31 August 1534. The Priory and its lands were subsequently leased to John Russell of Strensham, near Pershore. In return however the choir of the Church was to remain for the use of the parishioners, and that £5 was to should be paid annually to the Curate. The only part of the Monastic buildings to survive the Dissolution was the eastern portion of the mediæval house including The Prior's Hall, which forms part of Little Malvern Court.
Little Malvern Court still belongs to the Berington family, descendants of Henry Russell by marriage in the eighteenth century, and it remains their family home.
The church today
Little remains of the 12th century church, which was rebuilt in 1480-1482. The site is now occupied by house named Little Malvern Court, which has limited public opening. The present building comprises a mediæval chancel and crossing tower, and a modern west porch on the site of the east bays of the nave. The transepts and the two chapels flanking the choir are in ruins.
The Little Malvern Priory church, dedicated to St Giles, is Grage I listed and stands adjacent to the remains of the monastic buildings.[1]
Outside links
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("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Little Malvern Priory) |
- Little Malvern Priory (Church of St Giles)
- Corpus of Romanesque Sculpture in Britain and Ireland
- Little Malvern Court
References
- ↑ Church of St Giles, Little Malvern - British Listed Buildings
- Nikolaus Pevsner: The Buildings of England: Worcestershire, 1968; 2007 Penguin Books ISBN 978-0-300-11298-6page 214