Abbeys & priories · South West England
Witham Charterhouse
In or near Great Elm.
Witham Charterhouse — former Carthusian abbey in Witham, Somerset, England, UK.
Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 45 min–1.5 h
- Nearest railway station
- Longleat · 5.2 km
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit Witham Charterhouse, the nearest railway station is Longleat, which is 5.2 km away. The postcode for sat-nav is BA11 5HB. Please note that wheelchair accessibility is limited.
About
Witham Charterhouse is an abbey, priory, or monastic site in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1200. Heritage designation: scheduled monument. Wikidata describes it as: "former Carthusian abbey in Witham, Somerset, England, UK". Coordinates: 51.1739°, -2.3476°.
Photo gallery
Heritage listing
Witham Charterhouse, also Witham Priory, at Witham Friary, Somerset, was established in 1178/79, the earliest of the ten medieval Carthusian houses (charterhouses) in England. It was suppressed in the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539.
From the Historic England List Entry under OGL v3.
Protected designations
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Witham Charterhouse, also Witham Priory, at Witham Friary, Somerset, was established in 1178/79, the earliest of the ten medieval Carthusian houses (charterhouses) in England. It was suppressed in the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1539.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The charterhouse was founded by Henry II in his Royal Forest of Selwood, as part of his penance for the murder of Archbishop Thomas Becket of Canterbury and was established at Witham Friary, Somerset, in 1178/1179 by a founding party led by a monk called Narbert from the Grande Chartreuse. Hugh of Avalon (later Saint Hugh) was made prior of Witham Charterhouse in 1180. The house was suppressed as part of the dissolution of the monasteries on 15 March 1539. The lay brothers' church is now used as the parish church of Witham Friary.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.1739, -2.3476
- District
- Somerset
- Parish
- Witham Friary
- Postcode
- BA11 5HB
- Parliamentary constituency
- Frome and East Somerset
- Established
- 1200
- Nearest railway station
- Longleat — 5.2 km
- Official site
- thegreatbritainguide.com
Sources
- wikidata: Q8028111 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Witham Charterhouse (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Witham Charterhouse?
- Witham Charterhouse is in South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode BA11 5HB), in the parish of Witham Friary.
- What is Witham Charterhouse?
- Witham Charterhouse — former Carthusian abbey in Witham, Somerset, England, UK.
- How do I get to Witham Charterhouse?
- The nearest railway station is Longleat, about 5.2 km away. Drivers can use postcode BA11 5HB.
- When was Witham Charterhouse built?
- Built or established in 1200.
- Is Witham Charterhouse a listed building?
- Witham Charterhouse is officially recognised as scheduled monument listed.
- Is Witham Charterhouse a protected site?
- Yes — Witham Charterhouse is part of the Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs National Landscape (AONB).
- How do I get to Witham Charterhouse?
- The nearest railway station is Longleat, about 5.2 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode BA11 5HB.