Kington St Michael Priory
Kington St
Michael
was a vill held by the Mortimers
of Wigmore probably from 1075. They were also early
patrons of Kington St
Michael church. The Benedictine priory here was founded before
1155 by Robert Wayfer Brimpton, a Mortimer retainer in Kington.
Apparently the Empress Matilda (d.1167) was also an early patron. Adam
Brinton made further grants and these were confirmed by Hugh Mortimer
(d.1181) and
augmented
by Roger Mortimer (d.1214) who granted the nuns his tithes from Stratfield Mortimer, Aldworth and
Bisley. It is also likely that one of these Mortimers granted the nuns the advowson of Kington church.
After the dissolution of the priory in 1536 the site was incorporated into a farm. This helped preserve fragments of the structure including a 15th century range with guest hall and lodge and the 13th century frater. Part of the precinct wall was allegedly found during the 1920s. Excavations have identified part of the cloister and dorter.
The priory was excavated by Sir Harold Brakspear who found part of the precinct wall and the cloisters and dorter. Details of this and the history he uncovered can be found in Archaeologia, lxxiii, 244-52.
Copyright©2013 Paul Martin Remfry