Abbeys and other Ecclesiastical Houses
The two most important are Battle Abbey, the Benedictine house founded in
pursuance of William the Conqueror's vow, and Bayham Abbey, a house of Premonstratensian
Canons, who came here from Otham, near Hailsham, in 1208. There are considerable
remains of both abbeys, which are among the notable sights of Sussex.
The following is a list of the religious houses of Sussex with an indication
of the date of their foundation. Those in italics have existing remains, most
of them worth visiting.
Premonstratensian Canons.
Bayham Abbey:
(1208), formerly at Otham (1180)
Dureford Abbey
(1160) near Rogate .
Cluniac Monks. Priory of St. Pancras, Lewes
(1076), the greatest house of the Order in England. It held at one period
no less than fifty-six churches in Sussex.
Benedictine Monks and Nuns.
Battle Abbey:
(1076);Boxgrove Priory. 1105);
Sele
(1073) at Upper Beeding;
Wilmington Priory
(1100), an alien house belonging to the abbey of Grestein in Normandy;
Rusper Nunnery
(before 1300).
Augustinian Canons.
Priories at;
Michelham (1229);
Shulbrede;(1200-7);
Hardham; (before 1250);
Hastings; (temp. Richard I);
Pynham; (before 1151);
Tortington; (early 12th cent.);
Nunnery at Easebourne: (13th cent.)
Cistercian Monks.
Abbey of Robertsbridge; (1176).
Dominican Friars.
Convents at;
Arundel; (before 1253);
Chichester; (1253);
Winchelsea; (1318);
Franciscan Friars.
Convents at;
Chichester; (?mid 13th cent.);
Lewes; (before 1249);
Winchelsea; (before 1253);
Austin Friars.
Rye.
Carmelite Friars.
Convent at Shoreham; (1316),
which later moved to Sele.
Knights Hospitallers.
Preceptory of Poling; (before 1338).
Knights Templars.
Preceptories of Saddlescombe (13th cent.) and Shipley (early 12th cent.).
There are remains of ecclesiastical palaces of the archbishops of Canterbury
at Mayfield (14th cent.), and West Tarring (late 13th cent.).
Hospitals existed at Chichester (St. Mary's was in use as an almshouse), Seaford, Shoreham, Winchelsea, Lewes, Hastings,
and Pevensey, the first five places having more than one each, and at Battle, Bidlington, and Arundel.
The collegiate churches of Sussex are noteworthy for their Saxon origin. They are Arundel, Bosham, Chichester, Hastings,
and South Malling.
Of the alien houses, Wilmington Priory has been noted
above, and the only other of any size was the priory of Arundel, attached
to the abbey of Seéz.
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