Croxton Abbey and associated remains

Heritage listing

Details The monument at Croxton is situated 2km south-west of the village of Croxton Kerrial and extends for over 1km along a small valley. The site includes the remains of a Premonstratensian abbey with associated earthworks of closes, barns, eleven fishponds, eight dams, a watermill site, a moated site, the post-medieval earthworks of a former garden and the site of a dovecot. Most of the monument is included in one main area but the sites of the dovecot and the moated site are included in two separate, smaller, areas. The house was founded as a priory of Premonstratensian canons and was subsequently promoted to abbey status. The first buildings are said to have been completed by 1162. In 1326 the church, cloister and other buildings were destroyed by fire. Bishop Redman's visitation of 1500 mentions that the abbot had built and repaired the church and lady chapel. The buried remains of the conventual buildings are situated on low lying ground to the east of the fishpond complex. A ground plan of the conventual buildings was recovered by excavations in 1926 and although their exact location is not known, they are marked by irregular earthworks and grass-covered spoil heaps. The early church was aisleless and measured 48m x 10m. A presbytery was added in the 13th century and extended in the 15th century, at which time a south aisle was added to the church. The cloister, lying to the north of the church, was extended in the 13th century to cover an area measuring 27m x 22m. Other conventual buildings investigated in the 1926 excavation included the chapter house, kitchen, frater (dining hall) and dorter (dormitory). A range of buildings to the north of the main claustral ranges has been identified as the guesthouse. Situated on higher ground to the east of the claustral

From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.