< Previous | Contents | Next >
Thurgarton Priory
 |
THURGARTON PRIORY was founded in 1187 about the time that Henry II. was sinking to his grave to be succeeded by his romantic son, Richard Coeur de Lion. It was to be a home for a colony of Austin Canons, " Black Canons " as they were familiarly called, and the richness of its decoration speaks of the wealth and opulence of the convent.
A Canon was not quite the same thing as a Monk, although to the casual observer their lives appear very similar. There were, however, fundamental differences, one of the most noteworthy being that while a fully professed Monk was strictly confined within the four walls of his cloister, a Canon could, and very frequently did, undertake outside work, such as performing the duties of an ordinary parish clergyman.
Very little is left of the monastic buildings at Thurgarton, and what there is is not available to the public, being included in the intricacies of a modern house.
But there is much to admire in the church which, although modernised, incorporates a good deal of the ancient Priory Church, which would be the private chapel of the Canons. The Early English west door built during the Thirteenth Century, is perhaps one of the most lovely in England, and tells of the search of beauty for beauty’s sake kindled in men’s hearts by the broadening influence of the teaching of St. Francis of Assisi, while the simplicity and gracefulness of the south-west tower built about the same time, remind us of the still nobler work at Southwell and Lincoln.