BURNHAM ABBEY
Location/Address
None recorded
Type
Description
Augustinian Burnham Abbey founded 1289, suppressed and partially destroyed in 1539, restored 1914.
ABBEY OF ST MARY FOUNDED 1266 FOR AUSTIN CANONESSES BY RICHARD KING OF THE ROMANS. ABBEY BUILT IMMEDIATELY. 1539 ABBEY SUPPRESSED & PARTLY DESTROYED & REST CONVERTED TO DWELLING. DURING C18 USED AS FARM BUILDINGS.1914: BOUGHT & RESTORED; 1916: REUSED AS NUNNERY (B2-6,B9-13,B22).
CHARTERS (B1).
In July 1995, the construction of a soakway and related pipework exposed the chalk foundations of a medieval wall in the space between the infirmiary and the reredorter. Running N-S parallel to the abbey main range (frater), the chalk wall had been built on a layer of 15cm thick shaped Reigate greenstone which in turn was laid upon the natural gravel. The area between the wall and the main range was filled with hardcore and on the surface was an uniform layer mortar. A modern soil pipe from the 1930s was noted as crossing the wall (B28).
Abbey included in Huntercombe Conservation Area (B34-35).
Watching brief carried out by JMHS from September to November 2010 during groundworks for alterations to services and installation of a lift identified a post-medieval destruction of construction layer 0.25m thick and containing 18th and 19th century finds in areas 2, 3 and 4. The report includes a useful summary of previous archaeological work at the Abbey (B36).
Statement of Significance
Asset type
Augustinian Burnham Abbey founded 1289, suppressed and partially destroyed in 1539, restored 1914.
Date Listed
n/a