ABBEY OF ST MARY AND ST MODWEN

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Benedictine Abbey founded by Wulfric Spott in 1002 AD. Sometimes called Modwennestow because relics of the Irish Saint Modwenna were preserved there. Dissolved in 1539, but refounded in 1541 as a college for a dean and four prebendaries, and finally dissolved in 1545. (See also SK22SE26 and 104). A plan of the church and claustral buildings in the Victoria County History shows the church to have been cruciform with transepts towards the east end and a short choir. A crossing tower was also present. Towards the West end were North and South porches/transepts. Recently discivered plans of the abbey dating to circa 1700 show no trace of these western transepts. The cloister was ranged to the South and included the frater, dorter and abbots lodgings. Dependencies: Blithbury Priory.

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(SK 2500 2258) Abbey [NR] (Remains of) (1)

(Centred SK 250 226) The Benedictine Abbey of Saint Mary and Saint
Modwen was founded in AD 1002 by Wulfric Spott and confirmed in 1004
by a charter of King Ethelred. There were some twelve monks resident
in 1539 when the house was suppressed. It was refounded in 1541 as a
college for a dean, the last abbot, and four prebendaries, but this
was dissolved in 1545. (2-4)

No trace of the abbey church survived, and all that is left of the
claustral buildings is a fragment of the west wall of the dorter
range ("A") and most of the eastern part of the south wall of the
chapter house ("B"). The wall of the dorter range contains the lower
half of the chapter house doorway, two 13th century windows and an
intact Norman doorway to the slype or parlour.
The south wall of the chapter house stands to a maximum height of 4
metres and contains three 13th century windows. The house called
"The Abbey", now the Burton Club (SK 22 SE 26), includes old work
on the north and east sides. The north wall ("C") includes two large
round arches (the south arcade of the infirmary) with the respond
of the first arch of the western arcade. On the east wall of the
house is a massive external stone chimney-stack ("D"). Two fragments
("E") survive of an old wall on the line of the precinct wall. (5)

No change to previous information. Published 1:1250 survey
correct. (6)

The founding of the first religious house in Burton on Trent is
attributed to the Irish Abbess Saint Modwen in the 7th century. The
11th century Abbey, dedicated to Saint Mary and Saint Modwen, was
founded between 1002-1004. The Abbey precincts were bounded on the
east by the Trent and on the west by the High Street and Lichfield
Street. The present parish church of Saint Modwen is on the site of
the Abbey church. South of this, now largely covered by the market
hall, lay the cloisters and beyond these the inner and outer
courtyards leading to the West gate which stood, until its demolition
in 1927, at the junction of High Street and New Street (SK 22 SE 62).
The building known as the Burton Abbey Club (SK 22 SE 26) stands on
the site of the abbey infirmary and incorporates some of the monastic
remains.

Excavations carried out in 1975 at the site of the infirmary of
Burton Abbey revealed two phases of walls with floors in association,
belonging to buildings of the 14th century. A ditch had been
constructed and filled in again before any building took place on
this part of the site, and a large pit underneath the floors caused
them to subside. The destruction of the monastic buildings was
represented by a robber trench and other debris. A brick wall was
later built across the site. This was demolished and the site became
part of a garden. (7)

Discovery of two plans of the abbey church, drawn about 1700 before the destruction of the church, clearly show no trace of any western transepts. It is considered that Shaw's plan, and Rye's derivation of it, are mistaken. (8)

SOURCE TEXT

(1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1920

(2) by David Knowles and R Neville Hadcock 1971 Medieval religious houses in England and Wales

Page(s)61

(3) edited by M. W. Greenslade 1970 A history of the county of Stafford: volume III

The Victoria history of the counties of England Page(s)199-213

(4) General reference

Trans Burton Natural History and Archaeol Soc 3 1896 plan (H A Rye)

(5) Field Investigators Comments

F1 VJB 21-MAR-58

(6) Field Investigators Comments

F2 ASP 17-JAN-75

(7) Transactions of the South Staffordshire Archaeological and Historical Society

19, 1975-9 Page(s)11-31

(8) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

DOE Listed Buildings Dist of East Staffordshire Staffs 22-Jun-1979 1

(8) Transactions of the South Staffordshire Archaeological and Historical Society

37, 1995-6 Page(s)105-18

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