List of monastic houses in Lancashire

The following is a list of the monastic houses in Lancashire, England.

Barnoldswick Abbey

Beaumont Grange

Burscough Priory

Cockerham Priory

Cockersand Abbey

Heysham Monastery(?)

Hornby Priory

LANCASTER (see below)

Lytham Priory

Penwortham Priory

Preston Friary (approx.)

Sawley Abbey

Staining Grange

Tulketh Priory (approx.)

Upholland Priory

Whalley Abbey

Wyresdale Abbey (approx. traditionally)

Locations of monastic houses in Lancashire

Blackfriars

Greyfriars (approx.)

Lancaster Priory

Locations of monastic houses in Lancaster

Alien houses are included, as are smaller establishments such as cells and notable monastic granges (particularly those with resident monks), and also camerae of the military orders of monks (Knights Templar and Knights Hospitaller). Monastic hospitals are included where they had the status or function of an abbey, priory, or preceptor/commandery.

Abbreviations and key

Status of remains

Symbol	Status
None	Ruins
*	Current monastic function
+	Current non-monastic ecclesiastic function (including remains incorporated into later structure)
^	Current non-ecclesiastic function (including remains incorporated into later structure) or redundant intact structure
$	Remains limited to earthworks etc.
#	No identifiable trace of the monastic foundation remains
~	Exact site of monastic foundation unknown
≈	Identification ambiguous or confused

Locations with names in italics indicate possible duplication (misidentification with another location) or non-existent foundations (either erroneous reference or proposed foundation never implemented) or ecclesiastical establishments with a monastic name but lacking actual monastic connection.

Trusteeship

EH	English Heritage
LT	Landmark Trust
NT	National Trust

Foundation	Image	Communities & Provenance	Formal Name or Dedication & Alternative Names	OnLine References & Location
Barnoldswick Abbey		Cistercian monks daughter house of Fountains, Yorkshire; founded 19 May 1147; transferred to Kirkstall, Yorkshire 1152, thereafter retained as a grange; currently located in a field called 'Monk's Royd'	Mount St Mary's Abbey	[1][2] 53°55′00″N 2°11′45″W
Beaumont Grange		Savignac monks dependent on Furness (Cumbria) founded c.1130: granted by Warine; a 'large and important colony'; Cistercian monks orders merged 17 September 1147		[3] 54°04′47″N 2°47′13″W
Burscough Priory		Augustinian Canons Regular founded 1186 (c.1190) by Robert Fitz Henry, Lord of Lathom and Knowsley probably for canons from Norton; dissolved 1536	St Nicholas ____________________ probably Blakesmere Priory[note 1]	[4][5] 53°34′59″N 2°51′23″W
Cartmel Priory	Historical county location. See entry under List of monastic houses in Cumbria
Chapel-le-Wood Cell	Historical county location. See entry under List of monastic houses in Cumbria
Cockerham Priory #		Augustinian Canons Regular cell of St Mary in the Meadows (de Pratis) at Leicester; founded c.1207 or 1208: granted to Leicester 1153-4 by William de Lancaster; cell 1281–90, secular chaplain appointed — most of the canons withdrawn; dissolved 1477		[6][7] 53°57′36″N 2°49′14″W
Cockersand Abbey		land granted to Leicester 1153-6 by William I of Lancaster; Hospital of St Mary founded before 1184 by Hugh Garth, hermit, with benefactions from William of Lancaster II; Premonstratensian Canons cell dependent on Croxton, Leicestershire; priory refounded after 1184 by William of Lancaster (Lancastre) raised to abbey status 1192, continuing as a hospital; dissolved 29 January 1539; granted to John Kechin (Kitchen) 1543/4; now in private ownership of the Dalton family	St Mary ____________________ Thurnham Abbey	[8][9] 53°58′36″N 2°52′28″W
Conishead Priory	Historical county location. See entry under List of monastic houses in Cumbria
Furness Abbey	Historical county location. See entry under List of monastic houses in Cumbria
Hawkshead Grange	Historical county location. See entry under List of monastic houses in Cumbria
Heysham Monastery(?) #		suggested early monastic settlement; 14th-15th century church of St Peter built on site, incorporating pre-Conquest remains 800–950		[10] 54°02′51″N 2°54′07″W
Hornby Priory #		possible hospital 1160–1172; Premonstratensian Canons cell daughter house of Croxton, Leicestershire; founded c.1172(?) by a member of the Montbegons of Hornby (the ancestors of Sir Thomas Stanley) probably by Roger de Motgebon III[note 2]; dissolved September 1538; granted to Lord Montegle 1544/5	St Wilfrid ____________________ Horneby Priory	[11][12] 54°06′55″N 2°38′53″W
Kersal Priory	Historical county location. See entry under List of monastic houses in Greater Manchester
Lancaster Blackfriars		Dominican Friars (under the Visitation of York) founded 1259/60 by Sir Hugh Harrington; dissolved 1539; granted to John Polcroft 1540/1		[13][14] 54°02′53″N 2°47′48″W
Lancaster Greyfriars		Franciscan Friars some evidence of short-lived house[note 3], precise site and dates of foundation and dissolution unknown		[15] 54°03′04″N 2°48′39″W (approx)
Lancaster Priory		Benedictine monks founded c.1094 by Earl Roger of Poictiers (Roger, Earl of Poitiers); alien house: dependent on Séez; dissolved 1428	St Mary	[16][17] 54°03′03″N 2°48′22″W
Lytham Priory		Benedictine monks cell dependent on Durham; founded 1189-94[note 4] (1191-4[note 5]) by Richard Fitz Rogers; dissolved 1535 (1534); granted to Sir Thomas Holcroft; demolished; 17th century country house built on site	St Mary and St Cuthbert ____________________ Lythom Priory	[18][19] 53°44′39″N 2°58′37″W
Marland Grange	Historical county location. See entry under List of monastic houses in Greater Manchester
Penwortham Priory		Benedictine monks founded c.1104 (between 1104 and 1122[note 6]) by the bounty of Warine Bussel; dissolved c.1535; granted to John Fleetwood 1542/3		[20][21] 53°45′14″N 2°43′33″W
Preston Greyfriars		Franciscan Friars Minor, Conventual (under the Custody of Worcester) founded 1256(?) c.1260 by Edmond, Earl of Lancaster; dissolved 1539; granted to Thomas Holcroft 1540/1		[22][23][24][25][26] 53°45′35″N 2°42′11″W (approx)
Sawley Abbey		Cistercian monks — from Newminster, Northumberland daughter house of Newminster; founded probably 6 January 1147 by William de Percy, monks probably arrived 1 January 1148; dissolved 1536; EH	Salley Abbey; Sallay Abbey	[27] 53°54′48″N 2°20′31″W
Staining Grange		Cistercian monks grange of Stanlow, Cheshire, then of Whalley; founded before 1240		[28] 53°49′04″N 2°59′10″W
Tulketh Priory		Sauvignac monks founded 4 July 1124 by Stephen, Count of Boulogne; transferred to Furness (Cumbria) 1127		[29] 53°45′56″N 2°46′19″W (approx)
Upholland Priory +		chantry and collegiate chapel founded 1307–10; Benedictine monks/friars? founded 1319 (1318) by Walter Langton, Bishop of Lichfield; dissolved 1536; granted to John Holcroft 1545/6; remains incorporated into the Parish Church of St Thomas the Martyr	Holand Friary	[30][31] 53°32′24″N 2°43′14″W
Warburton Priory	Historical county location. See entry under List of monastic houses in Greater Manchester
Warrington Austin Friars	Historical county location. See entry under List of monastic houses in Merseyside
Whalley Abbey		Cistercian monks — from Stanlow, Cheshire daughter house of Combermere, Cheshire; (community founded at Stanlow 11 November 1172); transferred here 1296, founded 4 April 1296; dissolved 10 March 1537; granted to Richard Assheton and John Braddyll 1553/4; now in ownership of the Anglican Diocese of Blackburn and the Catholic Church	The Blessed Virgin Mary ____________________ Locus Benedictus de Whalley Abbey	[32][33] 53°49′14″N 2°24′38″W
Wyresdale Abbey		Cistercian monks — from Furness (Cumbria) and Savigny founded 1193 (c.1196), site possibly granted by Theobald Walter who appropriated a church to the new foundation between 1193 and 1196; transferred to Arklow, Co. Wicklow, Ireland, then to Abingdon, Co. Limerick; traditionally the site is below the meeting of the Marshaw Wyre and the Tarnbrook Wyre, on the north bank of the Abbeystead reservoir		[34] 53°58′53″N 2°40′25″W (approx traditional location)

See also

• List of monastic houses in England

Notes

1. Blakesmere — listed in "Chapters of Augustinian Canons" — probably reference to Burscough
2. Horn by Priory — J. Tait, Victoria County History: A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 2, (1908), p.160
3. Lancaster Greyfriars — though reference in "Notitia Monastica" is to the Dominican friary
4. Lytham Priory — foundation according to Victoria County History
5. Lytham Priory — foundation according to Dr. Diana Greenway: communications and references from Christopher N. L. Brooke
6. Penwortham Priory — founded during the tenure of Abbot Robert at Evesham (1104–1122): Victoria County History: A History of the County of Worcester: Volume 2, p.127 (Chronicle de Evesham) and Florence of Worcester, ii, p.53, and others (communications and references from Christopher N. L. Brooke)

References

1. Pastscape — Detailed Result: MOUNT ST MARYS ABBEY
2. British History Online — Houses of Cistercian monks: Kirkstall — Victoria County History: A History of the County of York: Volume 3 (pp.142-146)
3. Pastscape — Detailed Result: BEAUMONT GRANGE
4. Pastscape — Detailed Result: BURSCOUGH PRIORY
5. British History Online — Houses of Austin canons: The priory of Burscough — Victoria County History: A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 2 (pp.148-152)
6. Pastscape — Detailed Result: COCKERHAM PRIORY
7. British History Online — Houses of Austin canons: The priory of Cockerham — Victoria County History: A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 2 (pp.152-153)
8. Pastscape — Detailed Result: COCKERSAND ABBEY
9. British History Online — Houses of Premonstratensian canons: The abbey of Cockersand — Victoria County History: A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 2 (pp.154-159)
10. Pastscape — Detailed Result: ST PETERS CHURCH
11. Pastscape — Detailed Result: HORNBY PRIORY
12. British History Online — Houses of Premonstratensian canons: The priory of Hornby — Victoria County History: A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 2 (pp.160-161)
13. British History Online — Friaries: Dominican friars, Lancaster — Victoria County History: A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 2 (pp.161-162)
14. Pastscape — Detailed Result: LANCASTER BLACKFRIARS
15. Pastscape — Detailed Result: LANCASTER GREYFRIARS
16. Pastscape — Detailed Result: LANCASTER PRIORY
17. British History Online — Alien house: The priory of Lancaster — Victoria County History: A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 2 (pp.167-173)
18. Pastscape — Detailed Result: LYTHAM PRIORY
19. British History Online — Houses of Benedictine monks: The priory of Lytham — Victoria County History: A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 2 (pp.107-111)
20. Pastscape — Detailed Result: PENWORTHAM PRIORY
21. British History Online — Houses of Benedictine monks: The priory of Penwortham — Victoria County History: A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 2 (pp.104-106)
22. Pastscape — Detailed Result: PRESTON GREYFRIARS
23. British History Online — Friaries: Franciscan friars, Preston — Victoria County History: A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 2 (p.162)
24. A Timeline of Preston
25. LAS 2009-2010 Programme Archived 8 November 2009 at the Wayback Machine
26. History of Preston up to 1780
27. Pastscape — Detailed Result: SAWLEY ABBEY
28. Pastscape — Detailed Result: STAINING HALL AND SITE OF STAINING GRANGE
29. Pastscape — Detailed Result: FURNESS ABBEY Archived 29 September 2011 at the Wayback Machine
30. British History Online — Houses of Benedictine monks: The priory of Upholland — Victoria County History: A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 2 (pp.111-112)
31. Pastscape — Detailed Result: UPHOLLAND PRIORY
32. Pastscape — Detailed Result: WHALLEY ABBEY
33. British History Online — Houses of Cistercian monks: The abbey of Whalley — Victoria County History: A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 2 (pp.131-139)
34. British History Online — Houses of Cistercian monks: The abbey of Wyresdale — Victoria County History: A History of the County of Lancaster: Volume 2 (p.131)

Bibliography

Bibliography

• Binns, Alison (1989) Studies in the History of Medieval Religion 1: Dedications of Monastic Houses in England and Wales 1066–1216, Boydell ^{[ISBN missing]}
• Cobbett, William (1868) List of Abbeys, Priories, Nunneries, Hospitals, And Other Religious Foundations in England and Wales and in Ireland, Confiscated, Seized On, or Alienated by the Protestant "Reformation" Sovereigns and Parliaments
• Knowles, David & Hadcock, R. Neville (1971). Medieval Religious Houses England & Wales. Longman. ISBN 0582112303.
• Morris, Richard (1979) Cathedrals and Abbeys of England and Wales, J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd.^{[ISBN missing]}
• Thorold, Henry (1986) Collins Guide to Cathedrals, Abbeys and Priories of England and Wales, Collins ^{[ISBN missing]}
• Thorold, Henry (1993) Collins Guide to the Ruined Abbeys of England, Wales and Scotland, Collins ^{[ISBN missing]}
• Wright, Geoffrey N., (2004) Discovering Abbeys and Priories, Shire Publications Ltd. ^{[ISBN missing]}
• English Cathedrals and Abbeys, Illustrated, Odhams Press Ltd.
• Map of Monastic Britain, South Sheet, Ordnance Survey, 2nd edition, 1954