Priory of St Mary in the Meadow, Beeston Regis

The priory was founded in 1216 by Margery de Cressy, and was dedicated to St Mary in the Meadow (or St Mary de Pratis). Unlike many small houses of the Augustinian Order, Beeston Priory was independent. Writing to Thomas Cromwell in March 1538, Sir Richard Rich said that the canons at the priory "pretended themselves to be friars"; several historical documents have picked up on this and mistakenly referred to the priory as a friary. The Priory and its possessions were leased by The Crown to John Travers in 1540 before being awarded, in 1545, to Sir Edmund Wyndham and Giles Seafoule.

Much remains of the main priory church. The ruins indicate that the church nave, from the west wall to the transept, was about 75 ft long, and 23 ft wide, having a chancel added later. The north wall of the nave still stands practically to the roof level, although the divisions between the windows have long gone. The chancel, at the eastern end of the ruin, remains to roof height on the north and south side. The original eastern wall has been demolished, but a flint wall has been built up to window-sill level. The north-east corner still has most of its window mouldings. The cloister, to the south of the nave of the priory church, is now part of the Priory Farm garden. To the east of the…