Spotlight on Local History with James Balme
Close to Warrington in nearby Norton stands the historical remains of Norton Priory. The site is officially the most excavated monastery in Europe.
A visit to the ruins that remain today is a journey well worth making and one that appeals greatly to those who are interested in the medieval history of the area. I decided to visit once again recently having not been to the Priory for many years.
The weather was glorious and the remains of the monastery was bathed in warm spring sunshine. A visit here is always a peaceful one and there is a very calming atmosphere throughout the site. As well as exploring the remains of the monastery a visit to the special exhibition in the museum was a must to see the stunning artefacts on display found at Norton Priory over many past excavations. Even today excavations are still taking place on site and I’ve little doubt that they will continue in the coming years with many more historical objects unearthed.
Statue Carved circa 1391AD
Norton Priory Museum & Gardens, situated at Norton on the edge of Runcorn, is one of Cheshire’s hidden gems and considered to be the most important monastic remains in Cheshire. The site was also once home to a medieval church. Today the site comprises of the remains of the abbey complex dating from the 12th to 16th centuries, and also an 18th century country house. The Priory was established in the 12th century as an Augustinian foundation by William fizt Nigel, 2nd Baron of Halton and was raised to the status of a mitred abbey in 1391. Two families have links to the site and these being the Dutton family and the Brooke family. The Duttons supported and engaged with Norton Priory as a monastic site up until the Dissolution of monasteries in 1536 during the reign of king Henry VIII. The Brooke family made Norton Priory their home and Sir Richard Brooke building a Tudor house at the site and incorporating part of the abbey secured the site as the home of the Brooke family between 1545 and 1921, when they left the site to move to a new home in Worcestershire.
Today Norton Priory boasts a world class museum where literally thousands of objects discovered at the site are on public display bringing the history of the priory to life. One of the most impressive objects in the museum on display today is the double life-size St Christopher statue. It is very likely that this statue would have been commissioned to mark the site attaining abbey status in 1391. The priory was designated a scheduled monument on 24th July 1928 and later to be given Grade I listed status in April 1970. If you are visiting Cheshire then a visit to Norton Priory is a must for anyone who has an interest in seeing the wonderful remains and artefacts that remain at the priory to this day.
Over 700 history video features can be viewed for free with many other local history films shot around Cheshire and beyond by visiting my dedicated history channel, youtube.com/@Tvpresenter4history
