Lewes Priory

Lewes Priory – the Priory of St Pancras and I am in search of monk’s toilets. That is mostly what is left of the fabulous ruins that was once a majestic monastery.

William de Warenne and his wife Gundrada founded the priory between 1078 and 1082 on the site of a Saxon church dedicated, like the Priory, to St Pancras. William was a leading Norman baron with extensive lands in Sussex and elsewhere in England. Lewes was the first Priory in England belonging to the reformed Benedictine Order of Cluny, based in France. It became one of the wealthiest monasteries in England. However, in spite of its wealth it played little role in national affairs, except at the time of the Battle of Lewes in 1264 when it was occupied by the troops of King Henry III.

This episode is part of a longer fuller documentary, which you can find in the TV menu. You can find out more about the Lewes Priory, here: http://www.lewespriory.org.uk

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